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.
I don’t think I’ve ever thought about this! I do have a soft spot for Terry’s Chocolate Oranges, though, so I imagine I might go with one of those (or some homemade spiced nuts) if I were choosing.
I know it’s corny but I always put socks into my kids’ stockings (get it?). As for my favorite Christmas time edible that is associated with stockings, to me it’s rock candy. As a kid, rock candy used to be left on the hearth beneath our stockings. Yum!
As a child, every year’s stocking had a Terry’s dark chocolate orange in the bottom. I only eat them once a year, but I’m instantly transported to New York circa 1985 when I do!
My daughter loves pocky but our standard must have in all stockings is marzipan. Never had any culinary gadgets in stockings but with my son graduating college and moving out on his own and my daughter starting college next year might have to think about that.
my favorite edible stocking stuffer is homemade peanutbutter balls! Yum!!
I only just started getting stockings as I’m Jewish, but my husband’s family is not. So, stocking stuffers are new to me! I’m a huge fan of chocolate, so my mother in law has been putting dark chocolates in my stocking and it’s AWESOME.
My favorite is peppermint bark… mmm!
My favorite edible stocking stuffers aren’t edible on their own. I have men-children, and they’re most at home on their grills. So my stocking stuffers tend to be grilling rubs and sauces. I must confess, I don’t have a culinary tool stocking stuffer, although that makes me think I ought to ferret one out. Off the top of my head, I’d say measuring spoons. One can never have enough of them (mine are always in the dishwasher!), and some things do require measuring.
I love edible stocking stuffers. Especially memorable in my family were blood oranges and red Panda licorice. We would each get a blood orange in the toe of our stockings (or occasionally a different unusual fruit), which I’m sure was my dad’s doing. My dad would always get a box of red Panda licorice in his stocking — us kids would never get any in our stockings, but he’d share with us.
I remember always getting a special box of cereal and a little box of rice milk in my Christmas stocking. It’s not anything fancy, but it’s a memory and looking back I can see why someone might have not wanted to cook Christmas morning . . . 🙂
Thank you for such a FUN giveaway! I love it! My favorite stocking food item is a small box of very nice chocolates. As for my favorite stocking stuffer….would you believe a rolled up magazine tied with a ribbon? I like to get the latest issue of everyone’s favorite!
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is good chocolate. Favorite culinary is a good spatula.
Because I love them, my family is all getting homemade jam in their stockings. I have bought a couple of Cuppow lids for stockings, too….but I won’t say for who! (Hint: it might be for myself….) thanks!
My favorite stocking stuffer this year is 12-oz jeweled canning jars filled with vanilla bean-infused organic sugar. And maybe some locally roasted (Peace) coffee to go with the sugar.
Favorite edible stocking stuffer…not necessarily my favorite but my mom always gives us bags of Hershey chocolates, favorite would be when my husband buys peanut brittle, yummy!
I think this year my favorite edible stocking stuffer (for giving, not receiving) is going to be kumquat marmalade. Or grape jam. My pantry is a bit ridiculous right now and kumquat season is about to start again.
Good chocolate and odd sized sets of measuring spoons.
Edible stocking stuffer, for reasons unknown to me – Lifesavers candy. Every year growing up, Lifesavers by the roll, and in the same stocking, a new toothbrush.
My favorite edible stocking stuffer are homemade Christmas cookies and my favorite culinary stocking stuffer is a Teavanna stainless steel tea strainer as well as their glass tea tumblers. Both my dad and I love tea and usually at Christmas we try to get something tea related whether it’s a 2 oz bag or a new tea related travel mug. 2 yrs ago I received a beautiful glass tea tumbler that I still love and use.
My favorite edible stocking stuffers are plain peppermint candy canes – none of those odd flavors here. Candy canes just say Christmas to me. My favorite culinery stocking stuffer would be new bamboo spoons.
Here in Texas we love to find Jalapeno Jelly or Candied Jalapeno peppers in our stockings.
I love giving dark chocolate and my favorite pair of tongs. Both fit wonderfully in a stocking and re usually well received.
Thanks for the giveaway!
My favorite “edible” stocking stuffer is always gum…I never seem to have it when I want it. Favorite culinary stocking stuffer would have to be new wooden spoons/spatulas.
My favorite edible stocking stuffer would be anything dark chocolate and favorite culinary stuffer is my vegetable peeler.
Edible stocking stiffer: Pez…culinary gift: vintage aprons…Christmas traditions for my friends and family.
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is Askinosie’s white chocolate bar with cacao nibs–I don’t even like white chocolate, but this bar stole my heart.
As for useful, food-related stocking stuffers, these sweet birch bark straws from Terrain http://www.shopterrain.com/kitchen%2Dtools%2Dgadgets/birch%2Dbark%2Dstraws/productOptionIDs/bd0459cc-8958-45c4-b120-330bd8a8856a
Little mini spatulas. So many uses and they don’t take up much space.
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is chocolate. Lately I’ve been crazy about chocolate with sea salt. So delicious! Pocky is also wonderful. So are truffles. And York peppermint patties. The sea salt is the best though. Lindt makes a pretty good one but my favorite sea salt chocolate comes from World Market.
My FAV stocking stuffer gifts to give are cookies, homemade jam & candies.
My favorite edible stocking stuffers are bars of dark chocolate from around the world and my favorite culinary stocking stuffer are cooking utensils from the Japanese dollar section of my favorite Asain grocery store – like long chopsticks for cooking, tiny rubber spatulas, little rice ball molds that look like teddy bear heads… So much cute and useful stuff!
My favorite stocking stuffer is a dark chocolate covered prune I found in a local Polish food market. Sinful!
a terry’s chocolate orange! it’s a childhood tradition for me…
This year I am putting Triple Berry Jam (my very first canning recipe) with a pretty spreader knife attached…that is engraved with…Spread Happiness !
My favorite stocking stuffers are usable items. Fresh vanilla beans, new spoons for the kitchen, and maybe one piece of chocolate thrown in there 🙂
I have to say the good old fashion clementine at the toe of the stocking is one of my favorite traditions. A sweet healthy treat for Christmas morning that I look forward to every year!
My favorite stuffer is homemade toffee biscotti, usually tucked in along with some italian coffee.
Love giving 4 oz. jars of chocolate/port wine sauce and a good grips lemon zester — they are awesome.
i like getting a nice navel orange, some unshelled nuts, a nice crunchy apple and cereal. it used to be mini boxes of cereal but now i like homemade granola or cereal bars. my mom started this tradition and i still love it.
For edible stocking stuffers this year I’m giving some of the chocolate raspberry sauce that I canned this summer. For non-edible, I’m excited about giving my mom a Kuhn Rikon garlic press.
My fav stocking stuffer are mini whisks!
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is the orange that goes in the toe of my stocking. It’s an old family tradition and the tasty citrus is a great offset to the mint and chocolate of the season.
The edible gift in a stocking would always be the Orange, It is such a picture of winter when you eat the sunny citrus fruit.
The cooking gift would be the mustache bottle opener.
My favorite edible stocking stuffer has always been chocolate – especially if it’s from the little family-run chocolate shop my family has been going to as long as I can remember.
My favorite foodstuff stocking stuffers are actually the clementines my mom used to put in the bottom of my stocking. There’s something very old school about giving citrus as a gift on christmas.
I like to make shrubs and bath scrubs, and caramel corn for others. And also gift handmade napkins and hotpads.
I love giving (and receiving) little packets of homemade cookies.
My favorite edible gift… my grandma’s carmels…. little squares of buttery goodness wrapped in wax paper.
Dark chocolate is my favorite edible stocking stuffer (especially mint chocolate), but I’m making salted caramel sauce and fudge sauce for all my friends. 🙂 For culinary, my dream item would be a vintage silver jigger.
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is anything chocolate!! Usually that means some homemade chocolate covered pretzels or chocolate covered cherries, but sometimes I get a little more creative 🙂
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is tomato paste in a tube – and my favorite culinary stocking stuffer is an instant read thermometer, with a large screen.
Mine would be really good Parmesan cheese (it absolutely works as a stocking stuffer, too!).
I would love to get a jar of just about anything but I usually give strawberry jam. I want to try those weck jars. TY for the great giveaway!!!L
My favorite edible stocking stuffer has got to be chocolate. Any kind!
I always get a bottle of hot sauce in my stocking from my dad-it still makes me smile, and although it is not Christmas related, I thought it would be fun to share-last year for Easter my husband put all of my Easter treats in a brand new beautiful stainless steel colander instead of an Easter basket! So cute!
I love giving (and getting) homemade gifts. Especially when there are recipe cards attached or ideas for how to use the gift!
My favorite is maldon sea salt…what a revelation!!!
My favorite edible is candied ginger, we get it in Canada at this little co-op. Yummy. for a favorite tool stocking stuffer it would be bento picks and silicone muffin cups. So practicle and pretty.
My favorite stocking stuffer is tiny jars of homemade jams.
My favorite stocking stuffer is Tupperware’s citrus peeler stick. It saves your fingers from citrus overload, particularly when peeling crates of all the wonderful winter citrus for making all kinds of jellies and jams.
This year my favorite stocking stuffer to give is my homemade root beer jelly.
Edible? Satsuma orange in the toe of the stocking. Culinary? My favorite little whisk.
My absolute favorite stocking stuffer is maple sugar candy. So creamy on the inside with a slight crust. And the flavor of natural maple concentrated down to candy is unparalleled! For a kitchen stocking stuffer, a frilly retro apron tops my list.
Favorite edible would be Lindt chocolate and culinary would be fresh new kitchen towels – I LOVE getting new towels!
My family gave up stockings a while ago- but I’ll pretend. Culinary—a Pampered Chef citrus peeler. One of those nifty (and cheap) things that scores an orange to make it easy to peel. Love those! Edible–I love Take 5 bars. I’ll be giving blueberry lemonade jam and peach bbq sauce as gifts. Can’t wait to hear how much people LOVE them.
I know, it’s weird, but my favorite stocking stuffer is black olives. And my favorite culinary tool is my paring knife. Thank you. 🙂
My favorite stocking stuffer is maple syrup.
I love giving those small measuring spoons that are labeled: dash, pinch, smidgen.
I always make my family something. This year it’s mustard, the good spicy, grainy kind. I love making a big batch then putting it in beautiful diamond jelly jars. Such a pretty stocking stuffer, and my brother-in-law always opens his the day I give it to him!
My favorite culinary tool was a veggie peeler that makes both normal and julienne peels!
I love chocolate and caramel for edible stocking stuffers and I love my garlic press for best culinary stocking stuffer. I’d LOVE a stocking full of Weck jars the best though! 😉
This year everyone is getting Cuppows. I’m downright evangelical about them!
I always love a new set of metal measuring spoons. A bag of tea leaves is always appreciated as well.
My family and friends LOVE getting jam in jars for Christmas!
Lemon curd and any new gadget I don’t already have! Thanks for the giveaway!
My favorite to give is a variety of homemade truffles. I am a newbie at canning so I would love anything that helps with the process.
Stocking stuffers? On-half pint jars of my course mustard and a garlic slicer from Williams-Sonoma.
favorite edible stocking stuffer – homemade glazed nuts! I glaze several different kinds all at once, so everyone can have their favorites. favorite tool for a stocking stuffer – recipe card clips, to hang your recipes from the cabinet knobs, always with a pack of really nice recipe cards to go with it!
Every year I make lots of cookies & candy for Christmas Eve and have containers for everyone to fill with their favorites to take home. I also love to make Sausage Bread or Cinnamon rolls to give to our guest so they have a ready made breakfast for Christmas morning. Merry Christmas!
My favorite edible would be small jars of spiced honey with cinnamon, cloves, and lemon slices. My favorite culinary would be small spatulas – perfect for lifting brownies from the pan!
I love the old fashioned ribbon candy. And white peaches freezer jam.
I have two favorites: a 4 oz. jar of Thai Pepper Jelly (it’s unexpected and a lovely color for the holidays) and White Chocolate Covered Pretzels (so easy and yet so impressive). Thank you! Have a wonderful holiday season!
I love a good, expensive piece of chocolate! Non-edible favorites – my kids love a handful of loose change!
Favorite edible stocking stuffer? This year it will be 1/2 pint jars of 3 citrus marmalade, which is so good, I could just eat with a spoon. Favorite little gadget would be either new toothbrushes for the kids (they groan, I smile) or an olive wood spoon. Looks pretty peeking out of a stocking and always useful.
my favorite to give away are wooden spoon sets tied with beautiful ribbons and bows
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is a half-cup jar of fruit butter. This year it might be blueberry butter that I made this summer.
My favorite edible is chocolate, any kind of good chocolate! I love and use often mini spatulas and a good set of tongs.
I love making and giving white & dark chocolate peppermint bark! Although friends might say its my seasoned nuts!!! Everyone needs a wine foil cutter!
Happy Holidays to all!!!!
My favorite edibles are chocolates brought home from Canada where I grew up. Specifically, I love Nestle Macaroons and Icy cups (chocolates I am very reluctant to share!). My favorite stuffer I got was a set of decorative metal measuring spoons last year. They’re so pretty!
I would love a stocking full of watermelon jolly ranchers. They win hands down. Love your idea for a nutmeg grater!
Mmmmm, pocky. We love pocky around here. I’d actually have to go with that as a favorite stocking stuffer, since I’ve actually used it several times in my son’s AND husband’s stockings!
My fav edible is chocolate oranges, and my fav stocking stuffer is a honey dipper.
Favorite stocking stuffer is definitely homemade chocolate graham crackers. Tool? Some new copper measuring spoons!
My favorite edible in my stocking is Nutella and a wonderful set of measuring spoons would be nice. Thanks for the chance.
The chocolate orange so favored by others is also my favorite edible stocking stuffer. As for kitchen tools, one year my stocking was heavy it couldn’t hang because my husband filled it with odd-size measuring cups and spoons. I love them (and him!) and use them constantly.
Oh my goodness, what a giveaway! Well, I am going for the old school tried and true: we would get clementines in our stocking (if good!), so that’s my choice.
Glad you are feeling better!!
My favorite edible stocking stuffer is chocolate, hands down. My favorite culinary stuffer comes from childhood: my par… I mean Santa put a bottle of vanilla extract and a Vanilla Ice tape in my stocking as a precursor to a Barbie ice cream maker!
My favorite stocking stuffer is a gift card to Sur La Table or Anthropologie. 🙂 Thanks for showing all the crochet cozies for the Mason Jars. Adorable. 🙂
Edible – I am thinking granola this year! Kitchen tool
– a bottle opener (along with a bottle of nice wine)
My favorite stocking stuffer edible would be high quality swiss dark chocolate. Nom. Nom.
This year my favorite stocking stuffer is the Edgeware Better Zester. Can a zester be life-changing? I think so! Several of my friends will be getting these for Christmas.
Ooh! I so love getting Peppermint Bark in my stocking! And I love giving (and receiving!) fun, festive shaped cookie cutters. Happy Holidays!