Last week, I wrote about some of my favorite canning tools and the reasons they might just make good holiday gifts for the canners in your lives. This week I want to feature some of the odds and ends that aren’t canning necessities but make a jar-filled life a little bit prettier and more fun (of course, I intended to get this posted on Monday, but that knock-out flu I had has put me behind in my posting. So sorry!).
First on the list is Weck Jars. They’re good for canning, for dry goods storage, and if you spring for a set of snap-on plastic lids, they make fantastic leftover containers. Because they’re a bit pricier than your average box of jars, they’re an indulgence, but isn’t that what the holiday season is all about? Once hard to find, they’re now available for online order from the U.S. distributor, Kaufmann Mercantile and Mighty Nest, and in Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel stores.
For someone who has all their jar needs met, what about a pretty ladle? It’s good for filling your jars, scooping up servings of soup and chili and it looks fab sticking out of a crock of utensils. Available from Kaufmann Mercantile, it costs $32 and would be fun tucked in a stocking.
I love my stainless steel funnel
If I didn’t already have a stainless steel funnel, I might opt for this one
Drink toppers are another fun gift for jar lovers. I’ve written about these a lot lately, so I won’t go into crazy depth about them, but they’re great. There’s Cuppow, EcoJarz, and a lid specifically for iced coffee from the Mason Bar Company (they’ll also sell you a straw if you want a plastic one. I like these stainless steel babies
Once you turn your mason jar into a drinking cup, you need something to absorb the moisture and heat. That’s where a jar cozy or sleeve comes in. There are so many different Etsy shops making these. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Mason Bar Company (cute hand-crocheted cozies from the folks who sell the drink lids mentioned above).
- Greyslater (sleek waxed canvas sleeves).
- Fine + Dandy Knits (hand-knit cozies made from organic cotton, pattern is available).
- One Robin Road (charming cozies made from recycled sweaters. No two are alike).
- Cadron Creations (hand-crocheted cozies made to fit a variety of sizes, including the newly reissued pint & half jars).
- Two Tired Bike (mason jar sleeves made from recycled bike inner tubes. Great for jar lovers who adore their two wheeled transportation).
- Hide and True (hand-stitched leather sleeves. Spendy, but gorgeous).
- The Stowe (another leather sleeve, this time with a built-in handle).
Finally, the ultimate gift for jar loves is the Jars to Go tote from A Tiny Forest. Since I first wrote about the original two-jar bag, Kim has expanded the offerings in her shop to include a four-jar bag and single sleeves that fasten up over the top of the jar (perfect for packaging up super-special gift jars).
And since no gift guide is complete without a giveaway, here’s what I have for you today. There are two giveaway packs and we’ll have two winners. The first is from Kaufmann Mercantile and consists of a six-pack of 1/4 L straight-side Weck Jars and that lovely white enamel ladle pictured above. The second is a four-jar Jars to Go tote from A Tiny Forest in Kim’s signature blue-striped fabric (like this one).
Here’s how to get in on the giveaway:
- Leave a comment on this post and tell me about your favorite edible or culinary stocking stuffer (my favorite edible stocking stuffer is Pocky and my favorite culinary stocking stuffer is this little microplane nutmeg grater)
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- Comments will close at 11:59 pm on Saturday, December 8, 2012. Winners will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog on Sunday.
- Giveaway open US residents only.
- One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post. I cannot accept submissions via email.
Disclosure: Kaufmann Mercantile sent me the ladle seen above for photography purposes. Kaufmann Mercantile and A Tiny Forest have both provided the giveaway items at no cost to me. No vendor mentioned above paid for placement.
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I love peppermint bark as an edible stocking stuffer and am giving Cuppows this year also! Thanks for the opportunity to win some awesome things! Merry Christmas!
my mom always stuffed my stocking with beef jerky, hence it is my favorite edible stuffer. my favorite beef jerky is made by the fatted calf.
I love to put lovely chocolate truffles in stockings, and those little wine stoppers are great!!
Ooooh! My fave culinary stocking stuffer would definitely be that little microplane nutmeg grater. I really need one & haven’t been able to find what I want in stores recently.
My favorite edible stocking stuffer are those chocolate oranges that look just like orange slices!
My favorite stocking stuffer is a chocolate orange, which my husband *swears* he’s getting me this year. And he’d better, cuz he won’t let me buy one before Christmas lol!
My fave stocking stuffer is flavored nuts we make…it gives a punch of protein on that morning and sustains us until our later brunch.
My favorite edible stocking stuffer have always been the dairy-free candies and chocolates my family gives me. I so appreciate the efforts they go to.
I love every year in my stocking Lindt/Lindor chocolate truffles! I never tire of them, and the dark dark chocolate in the black wrapper are especially nice by themselves, or on a cheese plate to enjoy with a cabernet or pinot noir. Now that my kids have gotten older, in their tweens, they have figured out that there is such a thing, as ‘good chocolate!” So they get it now too! I usually will put any type of kitchen gadget that catches my eye in my hubby’s stocking. One year it was a stainless steel bar of “soap” to get rid of the smell of onions, garlic or any odor that is hard to remove. (bed, bath and beyond has great selections of kitchen gadgets)
Oh my goodness, Pocky (and those Koala shaped cookies) are my favorite stocking stuffers, too! No joke. My brother and I rarely ate a lot of candy, except on Christmas, when our stockings were filled with literally nothing but Japanese candy.
Locally made beef jerky…mmm!
My favorite stocking stuffer is chocolate oranges!
My favorite edible stocking stuffer? That’s too easy–chocolate, of course!
My favorite stocking stuffer is Godiva truffles? My favorite gadget is the micro plane grater.
My favorite stocking stuffer this year is new and are Cuppow!s—everyone is getting one this year. I’ve become a fanatical convert. As for edibles, my favorite stocking stuffer is an unusual Pez dispenser (usually a nice nerdy one).
Santa always put oranges and other fruit in our stockings, and I still love sharing oranges on Christmas. My favorite culinary stocking stuffer is a microplane lemon zester. It’s one of my very favorite kitchen tools!
“Santa” always left oranges in our stockings. Among all the candy, it was actually appreciated. These days I love dark chocolate with sea salt. Or caramels. mmmm.
We sometimes get those chocolate oranges in our stockings. I think they’re tasty (particularly the dark chocolate), but don’t usually splurge for myself, so it’s fun to find.
Best stocking stuffer? Satsumas!!
Coconut chocolate candies are a dream for me!
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is Ritter Sport candy bars…we get a different kind every year!
Edible stocking stuffers are the best! I adore the salted caramels from our local chocolatier. I’ve appreciated the paring knives with the protective cover I’ve received from my sister as a stocking stuffer.
Favorite edible stocking stuffer = anything chocolate, of course! Though some seasoned nuts would make a fabulous little treat, too.
Lindt truffles are a tradition for me for stocking stuffers and this year my husband is getting a new wooden spoon.
I have a special fondness for the oranges that filled the toes of our stockings every year. Of course I love all the candy (giant candy canes!) but the oranges are special for some reason.
Hmm, this is a hard one. It’s difficult to choose! Anything with chocolate is always good but I particularly like Ferrero Raffaello coconut almond truffles. The food item I like to put in my family’s stockings is a bag of spiced almonds dusted with cocoa and home made truffles. What I like to find in my stocking are really creative/artistic kitchen tools. I like functional art. That could mean tongs, measuring cups or spoons, anything that makes you look twice! Happy holidays to you and all your readers!
My favorite stocking stuffers all tend to be the edible kind. Good chocolates, unusual candies of just about any kind (Pocky is good, either the known tasty ones or some of the unusual flavors for the novelty factor), or small portions of homemade goodies like seasoned nuts or caramels.
Maple sugar candy and my microplane, such a useful little gadget!
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is my mom’s homemade chocolate covered almonds made with the best semi sweet dark chocolate she can find. My favorite culinary stocking stuffer has been my egg slicer. I use if for strawberries, eggs, mushrooms and kiwi. I have had it for years and years. Merry Christmas everyone. I just love jars.
My favorite stocking stuffers were the pecan logs my ex mother in law used to make. Also I have that Kuchenprofi funnel and love it. I use it exclusively for making my drip coffee directly into the pot. (weird I know but it works great) Also I’ve been wanting some of those jars really bad and the rest of the stuff is really cool too.
My favorite treat in a stocking is a dark chocolate orange that you break apart. My favorite tool to give is a garlic peeler tube. What fun giveaways! Thanks.
I think my favorite stocking stuffer I received was either an apple or pear with my name carved in it — my dad was (he died 3 years ago) an orchardist (raised mostly apples when I was very young) and early in the growing season he would go out and carve mine and my brother’s names on a couple of apples. To me, as a little kid, I thought it was really neat and kind of magical — how did he grow an apple with my name on it?! We also always received chocolate marshmallow Santas and roasted nuts which we’d snack on all morning long!
My favorite edible stocking stuffer in any kind of Theo Chocolate! (but the dark chocolate peppermint is always a good holiday cheery option!
My favorite stocking stuffer is chocolate…any kind of chocolate. Santa’s are always good.
Cadbury Dairymilk bars and copper cookie cutters and maybe some new rubber spatulas.
To receive… unique chocolate bars, or varietal honeys. I think someone mentioned maple candy, which I would also love!
To give, homemade spiced nuts, cookies, or candied citrus.
My favorite is gum, the big hard round ones
I am going to give retro candy this year as stocking stuffers! My brothers and sisters who grew up during the 60′s and 70′s will fondly remember wax lips, edible flying saucers and candy cigarettes!! Should be fun!!!
I think my favorite stocking stuffer via culinary fashion, would be candied orange peel dipped in a yummy dark Belgian chocolate. Oh my, I can’t wait to make some more!!!
I love chocolate truffles and I always add a vintage kitchen tool, cleaned up of course!
as a kid my mom would go downtown to an asian specialty shop (very rare back in those days!!) and buy us the rice candy with the paper you can eat…it was always a special treat for us.
now as a mother i put those same candies in my kids stockings each year. even though i can just buy them at most of the grocery stores in our city, i opt to only buy them at christmas so they remain special to my kids too.
Great post. My favorite edible stocking stuffer is chocolate and my favorite culinary stocking stuffer is a garlic press. Blessings.
I like giving small jars of canned plums for Christmas stocking stuffers. They’re a gorgeous color and crazy delicious. I’m also drying some catnip to make some hand sewn kitty toys this year… no stocking left unfilled!
Chocolate and/or peppermint covered spoons for hot cocoa are always a treat in stockings!
Lindt truffles! We always got a mix in our stockings, but I’d save the dark chocolate to eat last and trade away the milk chocolate ones.
I love giving little mixed bags of Japanese savory treats and candies. Also orange-n-chocolate anything.
Oxo citrus squeezer or julian peeler as a gadget stuffer. Chocolate or trader joes organic lollipops for edible stuffer.
My favourite edible stocking stuffer is Jelly Belly beans. So delicious! My favourite culinary stuffers are those ceramic discs that keep brown sugar soft.
I love anything edible in my stocking, especially things I haven’t tried before or wouldn’t buy for myself.
Best edibles have to be good chocolates! And a great culinary tool would have to be a quality veggie peeler!