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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My favorite edible stocking stuffer is chocolate! Thanks for the great giveaway!
My fave edible is a satsuma (or clementine) and my fave stocking stuffer would be either mini salad tongs or a micro grater.
My favorite edible treat is always chocolate. When we were young it was Tobler mocha bars, now it’s Frangos or Theo chocolate or other shaped chocolates for the holidays! And culinary stocking stuffer, a nice high temp spatula in red from williams sonoma or crate and barrel or maybe nice quality wooden spoons (I heart wooden spoons) or a nice set of measuring spoons orrr a really good paring knife? I love this contest! Good luck to all!
I like the chocolate santas made by Hershey, and a no melting spatula which I use all the time.
I can’t live without Earl Grey chocolates and a garlic press is the perfect culinary stocking stuffer.
I once got to my grandfather’s house 3 months late for Christmas, and there was what had once been an orange in the toe of my stocking. It had shriveled into a small, hard, green, misshapen lump. I suppose that doesn’t count as edible, but it was definitely memorable. As for a culinary stocking stuffer, the perfect metal measuring spoon set would be great!
I love doing homemade granola and salted
Caramel sauce
I love chocolates and interesting, unique spices as an edible stocking stuffer, and as far as culinary: I agree, a microplane grater is pretty awesome, and they come in gorgeous bright colors!
My favorite edible stocking stuffer to give would be homemade peppermint marshmallows. To receive would be some new ingredient I’ve never used before!
Favorite edible is granola, favorite stuffer would be a garlic press
Favorite edible is a dark chocolate “orange ” and favorite stocking stuffer is a mini whisk… adorable!
My favorite edible stocking stuffer are Kinder eggs, which I can still find at Economy Candy in NYC. I’m dying to try something my boyfriend called a “chocolate orange” this year though! My favorite culinary stocking stuffer is a good wooden spoon or a le creuset silicone spatula.
A nice bottle of truffle oil!
My favorite edible is an orange or tangerine. It seems to me to be the most traditional think I can imagine. Very Victorian. My favorite culinary choice this year would be a digital thermometer. That takes me from 19th century to 21st century.
I think I might need these as a gift. To me.
Orange and Walnuts were always put in our Christmas stocking when we were kids and continue this with my kids..
fav edible…oat squares cereal dipped in almond bark, fav stuffer.,.. 4T oxo measuring cup
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is a a bar or really good dark chocolate. The culinary one would have to be a garlic press or a set of pretty ceramic measuring spoons.
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is anything chocolate.
I think I’m going to have to stuff my daughter’s stocking with that beautiful ladle and ask Santa for some coveted Weck jars. My favorite culinary stocking stuffer is a tangerine from our trees outside (modeled on the orange we always got from Santa as kids). Lovely giveaway ideas Marissa, thanks for the great ideas!
I haven’t had a stocking in a really long time but if I imagine having one, I envision chocolate enrobed marzipan and a Thermapen because it is my heart’s desire.
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is a candy cane! My faorite culinary stocking stuffer is a wooden spoon! Thank you so much!
favorite edible stocking stuffer is bar of bittersweet chocolate, favorite culinary tool is my rocking (literally and figuratively) garlic press
My mom usually puts mini rubber scrapers/spatulas in my stocking each year. I actually use those more than full sized ones! They’re so handy.
Mini whisks are my favorite stocking stuffer
I think a thermopen would be welcome in my Christmas stocking. And of course anything chocolate. nice giveaways…love those jars
my favorite edible is homemade chocolate dipped vanilla wafers…
Oh my favorite edible would be a bottle of Fiore grapefruit vinegar. I could drink it by the spoonful or just swig from the bottle! I’m not proud! Lol. I guess my favorite “tool” would be a small whisk. So small, yet so handy! Thanks for a great giveaway. I love weck jars, ridiculous!
My favorite edible is a chocolate orange, or a raspberry orange. Mmmm.
My favorite stocking stuffer tool was a ceramic ginger grater my mom gave me years ago – use it for so many things!
My favorite stocking stuffer is also my favorite edible stocking stuffer — Fran’s Gold Bites!
My favorite edible is chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! Milk chocolate or white. My favorite culinary are good quality kitchen accessories like spatulas, measuring cups, whisks, or canning supplies.
Chocolate would be my favorite edible stocking stuffer….and a wooden spoon with a flat edge….which is really difficult to find!
Boy would I love those little jars. So cute and so many uses come to mind!
Chocolate. any kind.
My husband always puts tea and small packages of specialty cheese in my stocking! The cheese is my favorite!!
My favorite little treat to find in my stocking (I put it in everybodies stocking at home) would have to be homemade marshmallows. So delicious and easy to make….
A Thermapen would be my favorite culinary “stocking stuffer.”
My favorite Christmas gift is the popcorn tins that have caramel, cheddar and butter popcorn.
I like a delicious olive oil in my stocking along with some wooden spoons.
Fav edible – Green & Black milk chocolate bar. Fav stuffer – bacon tongs, which are basically giant heat-safe tweezers and so very handy!
I never thought of what my favorite edible stocking stuffer would be! I am thinking a little flavored salt would be nice, although my mom often gets me swedish fish and I’m not sure if that counts as culinary, but I like those too
Chocolate and Caramels! Love some new wooden spoon!
Jam!
I’m gifting people with chocolate raspberry sauce but I still have a fondness for marshmallow santas
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is a jar of my home made apple lemon marmalade to go with some Cabot horseradish cheese. Non-edible is the scissors-type tea balls. I usually tie a red ribbon around them and sometimes hang them in the tree is everyone is getting one.
My favorite edible stocking stuffer would have to be anything chocolate. Kitchen related would be a new set of silicone spatulas.
my favorite culinary stocking stuffer is a handmade wooden spoon. who cant use more of these?
I would have to say a flat whisk!
A good digital meat thermometer makes a great stocking stuffer!