Stoneware Ceramic Pottery newly made in the USA!

[liz stevens]

Old fashioned stoneware pottery is as functional in the self-sufficient country kitchen as it was in the pioneer kitchens.

Finding new USA made stoneware ceramic pottery cookware is sometimes difficult especially the old style blue stripe. Because it last for generations, some perfectly good stoneware is available in antique stores. Expect high prices for antique stoneware as it is a popular collector item, especially the pitchers, bowls and crocks. Most new pottery is made for decorating and not so much for daily functionality in cooking and cleaning.

In the pioneer days and even up into the early and mid 1900s it was common to see a blue stripe stoneware bowl in use for most daily baking and cooking task.

American made stoneware uses no lead or other toxins in the clay or glazing.

Stoneware can used in the oven, microwave and is dishwasher safe and if taken care of will last for generations.

Although hard to find, traditional blue stripe bowls from 10 to 16 are still the most popular products purchased.

USA made stoneware pitchers, crocks, baking dishes, and kitchen wares are still available.

Unique, stoneware vessels such as bacon grease crocks and a French butter dish are also available.

Stoneware churns from 1-5 gallons are available. Stoneware churns featuring a lid can also be used for pickling and other food preserving methods. Use these where a traditional stoneware crock would be used.

Making the stoneware lids to fit the traditional crocks is hard and as a result are even more difficult to find. The lids easily warp and crack during the kiln firing process. Most will cut round wooden lids made from popular wood. The same goes for a weight board to hold food under the water level.

If prepping includes home brew, well reproduction whiskey jugs are also available. These jugs come in sizes from 1/4 to 1 gallon sizes and can be used for keeping all types of liquids.

Keeping fresh drinking water on hand is an important part of prepping. These old time water crocks available from 2-5 gallons provide natural cooling and are equipped with an easy pour spout. This makes them perfect vessel to use with a water purification system to store fresh water for cooking and drinking. Stoneware is also food safe and does not transfer toxins such as reported from plastic containers.

Cottage Craft Works .com a self-sufficient living back-to-basics online general store carries all types of USA made stoneware pottery, including the blue stripe.

 

[~gd]

There is a whole bunch of misinformation listed in the post above. How do I know? because I am in the heart off the NC pottery district and they still produce stoneware. Some are 5th generation. There is some debate about the blue stripe ware. Most agree that at one time many potters produced such ware. In relatively recent times one managed to get a trademark on it and went about enforcing it. Trademarks only expire if they fall out of use, so current potters only produce it if working for the owner [and a few do to this day] So finding a blue stripe in an antique store does not indicate age or quality [there have always been a few bad potters} it takes an expert to tell the age or quality.
The parts about churn lids is a crock of , kids growing up in the tradition make them because they are simple to make and with kilns today are easy to fire. The old ones were often dropped resulting in chips and breaks so an old one is hard to find. The bit about water storage vessels is a crock too. Only unglazed pottery is self cooling because the water seeps through it slowly and is cooled by evaporation. The poster knocks plastic but please note that the easy pour spouts are clearly plastic! I am not knocking stoneware, many of my neighbors earn their living by being potters and their pots dont need a lot of false hype.