Linen FAQs

How do I care for linen?

WASHING H&S linen fabric was laundered before stitching to prevent shrinkage. Wash with your normal laundry load - the dyes will not run. For best results: don’t wash with “furry” cotton (sweatpants, terrycloth, bath towels), or cotton items with fringe. The cotton lint will stick to the textured surface of linen and make a mess of the fabric.

HEMMED ITEMS: Regular wash cycle, cool water, no bleach.

FRINGED ITEMS: Initial wash: Gentle/Delicate wash cycle to set the fringe, thereafter use the regular wash cycle. Cool water, no bleach.

DRYING OPTIONS

Don’t over dry! Linen dries FAST - towels will be done in less than 10 minutes, napkins in 5 mins. Don’t use dryer sheets or fabric softeners - they coat the fibers and inhibit absorbency!

TUMBLE DRY LOW: To help prevent hard creases remove while still slightly damp, (probably less than 10 minutes in the dryer,) spread flat or hang to finish drying. If you forget mediumweight linen in the dryer and it comes out with hard creases, re-wet and dry again.

DRY FLAT: On a non-porous surface, smooth out the wet linen with your hands. Let dry completely.

HANG DRY: Use your sunny clothesline. ‘Nuf said.

PRESSING For crisp napkins or hand towels, set iron on ‘linen’ setting, fill the water reservoir and use plenty of hot steam to iron your linens. Ironing napkins is not like ironing a dress shirt — it’s so easy and they’ll look perfect in a trice!

What is OEKO-TEX?

Linen used by Home & Skillet is OEKO-TEX certified, which attests that no chemical components or finishes used in the manufacturing of the fabric are harmful to human health.

What is flax?

Flax is a tall thin flowering plant with a blue blossom - it grows wild, but has been a cultivated crop for centuries. While it grows happily in the US it’s no longer a commercial fiber crop (read here about Fibrevoltion in Oregon, and their R&D work to revitalize flax as a fiber crop in the US,) but it is cultivated primarily in North Dakota as an oilseed crop.

Where do you source your linen fabric?

I sew with 100% flax linen cloth imported directly from Lithuania, and from a NY fabric distributor. There are various grades of linen fabric, the kind I use is often referred to as “rustic linen” because it’s slub (see next question) has a distinctive nubbily texture and hand feel.

Why does linen cloth have a threads that look thicker than others?

The “thick and thin” threads are the signature irregularity of spun linen thread. The thick and thin twist of natural linen is called slub. Linen slub is easy to see in the weave. While cotton is spun from the fine, fluffy cotton boll, linen yarn is spun from the long fibers of the flax stem. It’s the long yarn fibers that makes flax linen so durable - the yarn is hard to untwist or break and there are fewer fiber ends in a length of linen yarn.

Is flax an eco-friendly crop?

• Needs only rain, no irrigation.

• It’s a self-pollinating crop with a higher yield per acre than cotton. Since flax can grow so densely, it requires little tilling for weeds which prevents erosion and promotes healthier, organically rich soil.

• Flax crops require a lower volume of pesticides (if any.)

• Zero waste: the whole plant can be used  - even the seeds, which can be “hot” pressed to make linseed oil or cold pressed to extract edible flaxseed oil. Every part of the flax plant can be used, and can be found in additional products such as fuel, fiberboard, linoleum, and cattle feed.

How long has flax been used to make linen cloth?

Flax has been woven into cloth for 7000+ years and is five times more durable than cotton. The world’s oldest garment, woven 5000 years ago, was recently discovered in Egypt.

Linen versus cotton: what’s so great about flax linen cloth?

• Flax linen is 20% more absorbent than cotton, so it makes killer towels!

• Cotton items used and washed regularly last about 4 years, under the same conditions, linen items last 20 years! (Remember the 5000 year old dress?) So ditch the paper towels and napkins!

• Flax linen doesn’t leave lint behind – so it’s ideal for drying glassware.

• Flax linen is stain-resistant.

• Linen is both anti-microbial and hypoallergenic (no lint!)

• It’s moth-resistant.

Sources:

https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/flax_and_linen_industry_of_oregon/

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france-flax-idUSKBN23A2RM

https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2017/11/worlds-oldest-dress

Skillet FAQs

What’s in the Seafood Gumbo Base?

Shrimp stock, clam stock, andouille, greens, okra, tasso — all the goodies, are included in our Base, but not the actual lumps of shellfish meat. Lovers of this Base use the seafood they have on hand at home and toss it into the pot that’s heating up the Base. YUM.

Why coconut milk instead of milk or cream?

Milk products will separate when frozen and stay separated when thawed. Added in the right proportions, coconut milk doesn’t impart a coconut flavor, instead it adds a creamy texture and viscosity to the soup. Deane adds it to this effect in our Turkey Wild Rice, and Mushroom soups. Delicious.

Why isn’t any there rice or cut potatoes included in your soups?

Most of our soups are frozen, and rice and potatoes expand during freezing, then promptly disintegrate upon defrosting, while this doesn’t affect the taste of the soup - the soup doesn’t look appetizing.

Are any of your soups gluten free?

Yes! Many of our soups are gluten free. Please check the ingredients list on the label, or in the menu published here.

Do you ever have vegan soups on your market menu?

We do! Deane’s Fall and Winter vegan standard is Curried Butternut Squash. Check the menu or ask us at the market for seasonal vegan offerings.

What about vegetarian soups?

Sure! Deane makes a variety of small batch bean soups year round, and in the summer he buys boxes of fresh tomatoes from local farmers and makes vegetarian fresca tomato sauces. SO delish!

I’m not in Memphis! Can you ship to me?

We’re working on it! By Spring 2022 we’ll be set up to ship food. At present, shipping food is especially tricky and can be costly, but if you really have to have the stuff, drop us a line and we’ll work it out!