Ceramic Clay Pots Cooking

Handmade Pottery – First Steps in The Preparation For Working With.

One of the most important steps in working with clay is to prepare it before throwing or hand building. Wedging clay should always be worked on a plaster or canvas surface. It is usually easier if you are standing. I use a wedging table I made of plaster and covered with canvas.

If you have some clay you need to reuse, it can be placed on the wedging table so that the plaster can absorb some of the moisture so it will be the correct moisture content prior to wedging.

I purchase my clay already prepared and wedged for me. However, if I use some and it doesn’t turn out the way I think it should, I wedge it a little and put it in a plastic bag, set it aside for a couple days and then wedge it up to get the air bubbles out again.

  Always start with wedged clay so all the bubbles are out. First take a piece and slam it onto the wedging table. Then cut it with a wire cutter in half and throw one of the pieces down on top of the other in the same direction. Repeat this over and over again until you don’t see any more bubbles in the clay.

By repeating this step over and over again, it is wedging the molecules nice and tight together and eliminating as many bubbles as possible.

Even though you have wedged the clay according to the above step until you don’t see any bubbles you still need to wedge again by using the cone method.

I like to weigh the clay before I begin to wedge. I use different weights for lids, bowls, vases and other items. If I weigh prior to wedging I have a record of what size pot or lid it will be when I finish throwing it on the potters wheel. It is very important that you keep records of the weight you are going to work with. If you have a record to refer back to, when you are ready to make a mug you know exactly what the weight will need to be to obtain the size mug you want to make.

Before I get started making a piece of pottery on the wheel, I plan what type of pot I will be making. Is my finished pot going to be a mug, bowl, vase, lamp or platter?

Based on the item, and what the dimensions are going to be, I decide the weight of the clay I want to wedge for that item. Once I have determined what size pot I want to make, I weigh it on a food scale.

In the beginning sometimes you just need to guess at the weight you will need to make a certain item. If you are unsure, try throwing some pots using different weights using 1/2 pound increased increments so you become familiar with the different sizes that the different weights of clay will produce according to your style of throwing.

This is due to the fact that each potter will have an individual style and thickness to their throwing the sizes of the finished pots can vary for the weight used.

You always need to keep in mind that as your pot dries it will shrink in size. It will also shrink in the bisque firing, which is the first firing. The bisque fire helps to eliminate the extra moisture in the pot and is fired to 1890 degrees. The pot will also shrink even more in the final firing. The hottest temperature is in last firing, often called the final firing; the more the pot will shrink.

When purchasing clay from a company that is processed and ready for use it will usually state the shrinkage rate for each particular clay body. Therefore, you must remember to make the pot just a little larger than the desired finished size.

I usually start with 3/4 of a pound of clay for a mug. Many times I will use three pounds for an average size bowl. Three pounds will also make a nice size vase.

A little planning, weighing, and wedging will go a long way in helping you to consistently achieve a successful piece of pottery.

Author: Betty Grandy

To Market, To Market with San Diego FoodstuffNow those home cooks who have gas burners or traditional electric coil burners should be fine with stovetop clay pot cooking (you’ll need a diffuser with electric burners, of course). But those who, like me, have a ceramic cooktop will.AvaxHome -> Mediterranean Clay Pot CookingPaula Wolfert’s new book, "Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking" will end up being a seminal work for the new – old way of cooking, in clay pots. There are the old style pots of mica rich natural clays, and the new high tech flameware ceramicReview – Mediterranean Clay Pot CookingPreferred Clay Pot: A 10-12 inch straight-sided flameware skillet. If using an electric or ceramicclay pot. 6 bone-in quail (about 6 ounces each) ¼ cup plus 2 tbls extra virgin stovetop, be sure to use a heat diffuser with the olive.

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Crafts Using Clay Pots

Women and the Making of Clay Pots in Tanzania

The Chagga people are mountain people, who live on and in the shadow of Kilimanjaro – Northern Tanzania. They once believed in Sheuta and ancient creator god who formed the human race as a potter creates earthen vessels.

Even to this day people talk of the process of pot making is comparable to the creation of life in a woman’s womb. In the villages of Tanzania, usually the women folk are the potters. This profession is traditionally passed down from mother to daughter. Typically men do not participate in this trade.

The clay is dug out of the earth in large clumps, using a traditional hoe; this is back breaking work. These large pieces of clay are then taken home and broken into smaller lumps, water is added to make the clay more supple to work with.

  The consistency must be easy to work with – being very careful not to make it too wet. This is achieved by pummeling and needing the clay. A ball of clay is formed, then working quickly, turning and working the clay with the whole hand, fingers, and palms, continually tuning the container in a rhythmic manner – this process is completed surprisingly quickly. Once finished time is spent on the details, some potters marking their pots to make them distinct. The larger pots are made from producing long sausage shaped coils and these coils are wound around and around to from a pot. The sides are smoothed with water to remove the corrugated effect. Many home made tools are used in this process, scrapers, knives twigs and bits of timber.

The pots are then put in the shade to dry which can take up to four days for the larger pots. The pots are fired by covering them with wood and dried fragments of banana tree and the pot is half fired half smoked, this process takes an hour or two.

Once the fire has died down the pots are carefully removed from the ashes whilst still very hot. They are rubbed with leaves to give them a distinct colour and to seal them. Many of these pots will be used to cook food over an open fire.

These women are very talented at what they do although for all the effort and hard work not to mention talent a pot can be purchased for a dollar or maybe two.

Author: Ian Williamson

Rustic Candle Holder CraftsHow to make candle holders to complement the unique decor of any room in your house or to give as hand made gifts. Crafts by AmandaI have made many different clay pot crafts. I went crazy one Christmas and made snowmen, Santa and Mrs. Claus, reindeer, and this cute little elf. I originally made this in 2001 for FamilyCorner.com, he’s definitely among my favorites! … Using a small sponge, gently dab on a thin amount of pink for the cheeks. Use black paint to dot on eyes and put on mouth. Use red paint for the nose. You may also sponge on a small amount of red over the pink cheeks if the pink is too.Clay Pot CraftsClay pot crafts are a cute way to make home decorations. In clay pot crafts, clay flower pots can be crafted into a variety of decorative things that appeal to gardeners. Usually, the crafter begins with new pots. 

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Choosing the Right Orchid Pots

by Lawrence Sinclair

Orchid pots, especially the plastic pots, are indispensable items in the possession of every orchid grower. Generally, pots support the good caring of a plant and play an important role to the success of orchid growing and caring. Paying less attention to these potting matters may limit the healthy growth of your orchid. On the contrary, providing the appropriate pot will provide you with the possibility to control a healthy substrate required by your orchid.

Orchid pots are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes as well as various materials of which they are made from such as plastic, clay, ceramic and some other special materials like the purple clay and coir which is the outer shell of coconut. The shapes and sizes are geared to the requirement of a growing orchid, which in its development gradually needs more space for the root to expand healthy.

A good pot should meet the following requirements:

It does not break easily and strong enough to hold the force of expanding roots or when dropped by accident. It could also stand wet potting media and will not fall apart when exposed to watery substances for quite a long time.
Facilitates proper drainage or where you can easily control and schedule your orchid watering. Different materials will have different water permeability which should be well-adjusted with the number and size of drainage holes.
It provides enough room for the expanding root direction. Some orchids like the Cymbidiums have very long roots, thus a tall pot is needed. While other orchids such as the Jewel orchid has spreadable roots thus is best placed in a shallow broad pot.
It should be odorless and pH neutral. Some plastics can produce harmful substance when exposed to heat. Acid and alkali may be harmful as well. Please check this condition especially when you want to re-use an old pot.
It should be resistance to fungi and algae to assure healthy feeding of your orchids. The presence of fungi and algae will cause ineffectiveness of your potting media since these two will share the nutrients in it.

Potting materials have advantages and disadvantages which you may consider when you need to select a pot for your orchid.

Plastic orchid pots are the most common used pots especially in orchid gardens. They do not easily break and can be kept and used again after repotting your orchids. They usually have multiple drainage holes since plastic is less permeable to water, that’s why the potting media tends to dry slower compared to the clay pot. The popular pot is the clear plastic pot where you can see how the roots are doing in the potting media where you can easily detect if something is going wrong with the roots or substrate.

Clay or terracotta as well as ceramic pots are heavier thus it can provide more stability. It has higher water permeability for this reason it usually has only one drainage hole, but the bigger ones have several holes in the bottom. Due to this higher permeability, the potting media tends to dry out faster than the plastic pots. Clay pots are therefore most suitable for succulent drought-tolerant orchids since there is less possibility for water accumulation in the potting media.

Basket pots are made of plaited wire, plastic, wood and nets. Having loose walls provide advantage to heavy-rooted orchids which need better air circulation. A Dracula orchid or Drac for instance are best placed in a mesh basket to induce successful flowering. Some orchid decorating flowers such as Acineta, Gongora and Stanhopea can be enjoyed to the fullest if it is placed in an open basket pot.

Coir pots are made of coir which is the coconut outer shield composed of dust and fibers. This long lasting coir pots are claimed to be biodegradable and the most eco-friendly which provide a lot of benefits. This university-tested pot is weed and disease free, facilitate faster orchid growth and ensure strong roots. Being made of natural coconut hush it contains essential nutrients such as iron, magnesium zinc and copper. It can also be placed straightly into the ground.

Purple clay pots are made of a special type of clay originated from Yixing, Cina which is called ‘zi sha’ using ancient techniques by master craftsmen. This unique clay has been dug out since the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century to produce the famous Yixing teapots. Purple clay has three natural colors: red, yellow and purple. The natural porosity of purple clay is very suitable for orchids with delicate roots and provides better air circulation for those delicate roots.

In terms of shape and sizes, there are plenty of choices that might meet your requirement. You can purchase them online or at your gardening store. I suggest you to learn more about this potting matter or you can ask the store keeper who probably can provide you with some good information pertaining a certain type of pot. Happy potting …..!

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