2014 Gift Guide: Day One

This year, it seems, everyone is in a pickle: fermentation is all the rage.

But the truth is, pickles are pretty easy.  Sauerkraut, on the other hand, presents a challenge. You need to weight the cabbage down, a trick most home-fermenters accomplish by jerry-rigging a tippy tower of bowls. There’s also the problem of finding the right vessel: even a small jar of kraut requires you to start with something bigger (and heavier) than a milk jug. 

That's why I think so highly of these fermentation crocks. If you have a true food warrior on your list, you can be pretty sure they're dabbling with pickles.  And any home pickler would be thrilled to find one of these beautiful crocks from Mudslide Stoneware sitting beneath the tree. They come in various sizes and colors, each one fitted with ceramic weights. (And if your friend's not into pickling, they work really well for yogurt.)