May. 21, 2003 - 17:55 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Round, Tall, Thick And Heavy

Long ago when I was young (I was once young you know) it seemed to me that standard equipement for a well furnished kitchen was an assortment of crocks. They came in many shapes and sizes. They were thick, heavy, often huge, cylindrical pieces of, "Vitreous and non absorbent ware containing silica fired at a higher temperature than earthenware." Large gray crocks and jars were used in grocery stores, seems to me that there were crocks in the meat department, some holding pickles�- pickled pigs feet and such.

I remember a lady friend of my folks who made sauerkraut in a big one, which she put up in Mason jars when it was ready. I can't remember the process but remember it took a bit of time, some salt and I think a weight on top of the cabbage and a process of natural fermentation from what I heard.

Crocks served with valor at big picnics, the thick walls keeping hot stuff hot and cold stuff cold quite well. I remember the huge crocks of potato salad at picnics.

That was back during Prohibition and we kids knew that crocks hidden away were busy manufacturing home brew or wine. A give away usually was the presence of a bottle capper, which was explained by the big folks as being used for root beer. They worked well for that too, but I don't think anyone was fooled.

There always seemed to be at least one crock in what ever house I visited and the uses of such were manifold. The walls and bottoms were thick and the pieces were very heavy. Non-porous they could be used for most anything that needed an impermeable container. I remember one household where there were a multiplicity of babies, the diapers were put in a huge crock with a wooden lid on top. I pitied the heavy lifter in that household. We kids used to joke that we wouldn't eat sauerkraut at that house - ever. Silly boys were we, or where we ? . . . . .

My Mom had a small crock she treasured. It was cylindrical, about ten inches tall and had an interior that was rounded at the bottom. A hand driven egg beater fit the bottom just right. Many good things were whipped up in that. One of my favorites was egg and milk, bit of sugar, nutmeg and vanilla and milk. Whipped up it was ambrosia. I don't know if folks were germ resistant, more so than folks nowadays but none of us kids ever got sick from egg and milk. That crock was a dandy, and I have never seen one like it.

There was a company here in Denver, down near the freight house where I worked called Carson Crockery who supplied restaurants and hotels with dinnerware and I am sure that crocks were handled there too. In our neighborhood crocks could be bought at hardware stores, along with coal scuttles and galvanized wash tubs and companion wash boards.

In later years I have seen attractive flower arrangements displayed in old crocks.

A happy memory, that makes me feel at home in childhood once again. Beloved crocks, Round, Tall, Thick And Heavy . . . . . . . .

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