All about pottery

Clay is one of those materials that humanity has been using since time immemorial. Often made from it and do the dishes. But behind the seeming simplicity of clay tanks hides a lot of interesting and important things.

The very appearance of ceramics is extremely interesting. Making pottery started several thousand years ago. Pottery was one of the main activities in any ancient civilization. Later, more advanced materials appeared (porcelain and earthenware), but each of them also has its drawbacks. Potter's profession was respected, however, the requirements for people employed in it were very strict.

It is believed that the first appeared such a kind of dishes, like a pot. It is easiest to get it on a hand pottery wheel. For many centuries, this is the version of dishes dominated in various parts of the world.

The emergence of large-scale industrial production of ceramics in the XIX century expanded its range and allowed making clay products almost unlimited.

But the merit of the ancient masters remains invaluable in its significance. It is supposed that ceramics began to be made at the junction of the middle and new Stone Age. In our country already in the early Middle Ages hundreds and thousands of people were engaged in pottery. At that time, mainly oval pots and boilers were leaving the workshops. Their form was not accidental - the dishes were made so that they fit into the Russian stove.

Forms and sizes could vary greatly. Each master had his own production secrets and carefully kept them secret. Clay kitchen pots were very expensive because of their handicraft work, and therefore they were treated with respect. Such dishes were endowed with a variety of cultural meanings.

Even now, when large quantities of kitchen utensils are made in factories without problems, quite a few people are engaged in its manufacture in home workshops.

As in the old days, experienced ceramists extract the raw materials for production independently and they themselves bring it to the necessary conditions. You can do something good both from red and white clay only if it:

• fatty;
• does not contain extraneous inclusions and small stones;
• stored at a strictly defined humidity.

White clay is used most often. In its natural form, it is painted in a grayish tone. When such raw materials are burned, it gets ivory color. Red clay includes iron oxide, the characteristic color it receives after firing. It is easy to sculpt such a rock; it is not prone to crumbling.

Porcelain clay in the form of raw material has a gray color, and whitens during roasting. The hardest variety is initially black or dark brown. In baked form, it is painted under ivory. Potters distinguish clay also by melting point. Both in large and in the handicraft industry, finished products are tried to be coated with glaze or enamel, and other compounds that help to achieve the required properties.

There are dishes without impurities: it is usually made of terracotta (red clay), or black ceramics.

Thick walls warm up slowly, and this property was already appreciated in ancient times.A scalded pot of smoked ceramics made and made for baking various dishes.

Over the long history of pottery, many types of pottery have been created. But all of it is created by approximately the same technology (with rare exceptions). Clay must be moisturized, because to compress it properly in a dry form is impossible. Then knead it and turn into plaits. This method of producing blanks is more practical than using solid pieces. Further, as in ancient times, any billet is dried and fired.

Already in ancient times it turned out that earthenware for kitchen purposes suits very well. Burnt clay is, of course, natural, it contains no foreign substances that can cause harm. Clay containers, if they are made soundly, cause emotional inspiration, delight the eye. This is characteristic of even the most "simple" cups and pots; look more original products.

Ordinary clay-based ceramics have a number of valuable properties that are not porcelain and earthenware.

If you pour compote into a clay jug and then put it on a window sill filled with the sun, the drink will stay cool a few hours later. Tea, coffee, cocoa remain warm long enough, the milk keeps its taste longer and does not turn sour.

The benefits of pottery is expressed in the fact that it can store dry, loose products. Flour and groats in a ceramic pot do not attract bugs. The shelf life of onions, potatoes and other root vegetables is extended. Herbal packaging is well kept in clay containers. Porous walls provide good ventilation and help to preserve healing properties.

If the cookware is intended for cooking, it can be placed in both an electric and a gas oven. You can put in a microwave any clay containers, except:

• coffee pots;
• jugs;
• teapots.

If chilled, especially frozen products are stored in a pot, it is undesirable to put it immediately in a preheated oven or microwave. Therefore it is necessary to spend more time for a gradual warming up. Immediately pour steep boiling water into the pottery is also impractical.

Another disadvantage is easy absorption of grease and other contaminants.

Clay dishes will have constantly guard against falls and bumps. Even if it does not crack, it definitely gets several cracks.

Low thermal conductivity increases the risk of cracking even in “normal” use. But in themselves high and low temperatures (if there are no differences in them) are well tolerated by clay.

Clay dishes are very easily saturated with various smells. because It is advisable to use it for storage and preparation of only some specific products.

The dishes should be roasted gently, not immediately placed in a hot oven. Moreover, maintaining the temperature at a moderate level throughout the processYou can achieve a much better result.

Separately, it should be mentioned how to prepare for using pottery for the first time after purchase.

For this her:

• washed as it should;
• fill with water (optionally with the addition of soda);
• put in a warm oven and bring to a boil;
• turn off the heat and allow to cool.

Further clay pots, designed for roasting, need to be coated on the inside with vegetable oil. Such measures allow to avoid the appearance of microcracks. Rinse the containers before each use.

So if the recipe prescribes cooking at high temperature, you can further increase the heat and cook the dish longer.

It is impossible to give exact recommendations on this score: all the cooks select the necessary parameters by trial and error. As for clay teapots, then they can not leave tea leaves for several days in a row. The best result is achieved if the kettle is washed and dried after each use.

Note that There are some exceptions to the general rule "do not put pottery on fire." These exceptions are the Georgian ketsi griddle and the old Russian latka.

Clay is reasonably considered a “tender” material. But with proper care, it is quite possible to count on many years of operation of such dishes. It is unacceptable to wash clay products in dishwashers, manual cleaning is much better suited for it. You can remove grease by wiping dirty areas with a sponge soaked in soapy water. If possible, avoid using synthetic detergents.

It is undesirable to leave the dishes wet: the responsible owners wipe it dry. If suddenly the lid of the earthen vessel is broken, you do not need to panic. You can make a good replacement with your own hands - by baking a lid of the usual dough, exactly the same in shape. Hot pots should not be placed in the refrigerator or on a cold surface. It is better to wait first to cool their contents to room temperature.

If you keep it closed, you may encounter unpleasant odors. For the guidance of cleanliness it is advised to use soft sponges (hard ones can damage sensitive material). Compliance with the basic recommendations allows you to guarantee a long service of ceramic dishes and good culinary results. Glue the broken pots, jugs can be using special food glue (you just need to check the safety of the composition).

A good alternative in some cases are universal adhesives, such as "Moment" or "Second." The problem is solved as follows:

• collect all the fragments;
• wash them under running warm water using gentle dishwashing detergent;
• dried;
• degrease the edges of the chips with acetone or alcohol;
• carefully apply glue;
• tightly connect the joints;
• remove soft matter excess glue mass.

You should not assume that only pots, jugs and kettles are made of clay. This material is used much more widely. For roasting in the oven, pots are still the most attractive choice. Their form (wide throat, narrow bottom and expansion in the center) is justified by the centuries-old practice. It is such dishes that perfectly distribute the heat throughout the volume.

A separate discussion deserves clay dishes for tea. In such a "tea" country like China, all the attributes of tea drinking are made exclusively from ceramics. These include:

• bowls;
• cups;
• tea pots;
• containers for storing herbs.

Brewing tea in an unglazed vessel, you have to put up with the fact that the aroma of the first brew fills the material forever. The same rule will have to be observed in relation to the ceramic Turk. Each type of coffee is brewed in a strictly defined capacity. Otherwise, you can get a very unpleasant mixture of flavors.

Glazed dishes is the only option made of clay for microwave cooking.

There are various options for "microwave" ceramics:

• containers for heating;
• pans of different sizes;
• Bakeware;
• baking molds.

Among the kitchen utensils from clay it is also worth mentioning:

• dishes for baking;
• dishes for cooking soups;
• dishes for cooking roasts;
• Juliente;
• tazhins;
• braziers;
• cauldrons;
• barbeque makers

All these products are suitable not only for food processing, but also for serving ready meals to the table. And for lovers of Georgian cuisine ketsy earthen pan is ideal. It bakes various dishes in the oven. Kecy sometimes serves as a bowl, bowl for hot and cold dishes. In the manufacture of this type of dishes, glaze is not always used, so it will have to choose carefully.

In addition to these things (as well as plates, saucers and dinner sets), there are many more clay items to be found in the kitchen:

• tureen;
• cocotte;
• salad bowl;
• kashnik;
• vases for storing vegetables;
• sugar bowls;
• vessels for wine and a number of other types of dishes.

A good choice is the production of the Voronezh company Khoromy Ceramics. This company began its work in 2017. Its range includes:

• cups;
• saucers;
• vases;
• teapots;
• mugs and many other things.

An alternative can be considered products of "Tarusa Ceramics". Pottery has been made at this plant since 1974. And since 1971, the Pskov Potter factory has been operating, whose employees apply all the techniques of modern design and hand painting. You can buy there the most different dishes, including tea sets. The products of the Pskov Potter repeatedly won prizes at Russian and foreign exhibitions.

Also worth considering ceramics firms:

• Leander;
• Bernadotte;
• Royal Czech Porcelain;
• Colombo;
• Continental;
• Costa Nova;
• Domenik.

When choosing pottery can not be guided solely by trademarks. Of great importance is the beauty of specific products. After all, kitchenware must necessarily create a pleasant impression. The next point to which attention should be paid is the volume of products. They can be designed for one or more servings.

But even the most capacious and elegant dishes should be resistant to mechanical and thermal stress. And these parameters depend on the firing. It is possible to judge the quality of processing by purity and sonority of sound, by accuracy of forms.

Strongly unacceptable:

• scratches;
• cracked areas;
• swelling;
• chipped.

Good pottery iced smoothly, without drips or distortion.

As in any other case, over saving on purchase should not. Finally, to choose the right pottery, you need to pay attention to the reviews, which describe all the flaws in the dishes.

With different types of pottery and their purpose can be found in the following video.