The best stocking stuffers for adults are small things they will actually use up or keep: warm socks, a lip balm they love, a good pocket tool, real chocolate, a jar of something delicious. The worst are the novelties that go straight into a drawer the day after Christmas.
One that almost nobody sees coming: a jar of pickled king oyster mushrooms, thick, meaty coins in a brine with truffle oil. It is the kind of treat people love and never buy for themselves, and it gets opened with the cheese on Christmas afternoon instead of saved for later.
Below: how to fill a stocking so it looks full, which jar suits which person, thirty stocking stuffer ideas for her, for him and for foodies, cheap and unique picks, and when to order so everything arrives in time.
How to fill a stocking (and where the jar goes)
A good stocking has a shape to it, from the toe up:
- Something heavy in the toe. It keeps the stocking hanging straight. A jar, a candle or a mug works; plenty of families still put a clementine there.
- Something useful, like socks, a tool or a charger.
- Something to eat: chocolate, a snack, a jar.
- Something fun, like a game, a puzzle or a silly ornament.
- Something peeking out of the top, so it looks full before anyone touches it. A candy cane does the job.
A full-size jar is on the heavy side for a stocking, which is exactly why it belongs in the toe.
Which jar for which stocking
Golden Grove makes five pickled mushrooms, and each suits a different person:
- King oyster, with truffle oil in the jar: for the person who likes the good stuff.
- Crimini, whole caps with garlic and thyme: the safest pick for someone you don't know well.
- Shiitake, the most savory, with tamari in the brine: for the ramen and rice-bowl fan.
- White shimeji, bright and delicate: for the person who always brings the cheese board.
- Black shimeji, savory and tender: for the salad maker.
"We got a 6-pack and picked a mix of everything. The mushrooms taste fresh and each jar is actually different, which I appreciated because I was expecting the flavors to be more or less the same. The king oyster is rich and the white shimeji is much lighter."
— Samantha L., Golden Grove customer
Our jars come in packs of two, four or six, so one order covers several stockings: a 2-Pack fills two, and a 6-Pack covers the whole family, with each person's jar chosen to suit them in a Build Your Variety Pack. A sealed jar keeps in a cool, dry cupboard, so you can buy early and stop worrying about it.
Start with king oyster. It is the richest of the five, the one that feels most like a luxury, and a 2-Pack is two stocking stuffers sorted in one go.
Stocking stuffers for her
1. A really good lip balm or lip oil
Small, used every day in winter, and easy to get right. Pick a tinted one if you know her shade, clear if you don't.
2. Hand cream in a small tube
One for her bag, one for her desk. Winter hands need it, and a nice one feels like a treat.
3. Cashmere or wool socks
The upgrade nobody buys for themselves. Neutral colors, warm enough for a cold kitchen floor.
4. Hair clips or a silk scrunchie
Small, pretty and genuinely useful. A set of claw clips in a few colors fills a stocking nicely.
5. A small candle
A travel-size candle in a tin, in a scent she would pick herself: fig, cedar, citrus. It is heavy enough for the toe.
6. A pocket notebook and a good pen
For lists, ideas and recipes. A smooth pen makes the gift.
7. A jar for her cheese board
If she hosts, a jar of pickled white shimeji goes straight onto her next board. Its product page pairs it with "Soft cheeses, burrata, fresh mozzarella".
8. A chocolate bar from a craft maker
One very good bar beats a bag of foil-wrapped ones. Dark with sea salt is the crowd-pleaser.
Stocking stuffers for him
9. A pocket knife or multi-tool
The classic for a reason: it gets carried every day. A small, simple one beats a giant gadget.
10. Warm socks
Wool hiking socks get worn all winter, which is more than most stocking stuffers can say.
11. A hot sauce he hasn't tried
A small bottle from a different region or a new pepper. Pair it with a bag of good tortilla chips.
12. A flashlight or headlamp
Small, bright and rechargeable. Useful in the car, the garage and every power cut.
13. Coffee from a local roaster
A small bag of whole beans roasted that week. Ask for it ground if he doesn't own a grinder.
14. A jar of pickled king oyster
For the steak cook: thick, meaty coins of pickled king oyster sliced over a steak or folded into a sandwich. Its page lists "Steak and grilled meats" among its uses.
15. A deck of cards or a pocket game
Something to play on Christmas afternoon. A travel-size game fits easily.
16. A whole dry salami
A short, whole salami is a great savory stocking stuffer. It keeps well and goes with everything else on this list.
Stocking stuffers for foodies and cooks
17. Flaky sea salt
A small box of flaky salt, or a smoked or truffle salt in a tin. A cook uses a pinch every day.
18. A box of five pickled mushrooms
For the food lover who has everything: one of each of our five jars, so they can taste the difference. Samantha, above, picked "a mix of everything".
19. A microplane grater
For zest, Parmigiano and garlic. Every cook who owns one uses it constantly; every cook who doesn't should.
20. Chili crisp
Crunchy, garlicky chili oil for noodles, eggs and rice. Put it next to a jar of pickled shiitake and you have a ramen night.
21. A small bottle of good olive oil
Fresh, single-estate oil from this year's harvest, for drizzling rather than frying.
22. Tinned fish
A pretty tin of sardines, mackerel or mussels, for the person who eats them on toast with a squeeze of lemon. A tin fits any stocking.
23. A spice blend
Za'atar, a curry blend or a good chili powder. Pick one they don't already cook with.
Cheap and unique stocking stuffers
24. A candy from their childhood
The cheapest gift on this list and often the one that gets the biggest reaction.
25. A small jigsaw puzzle
A puzzle of a few hundred pieces fills a quiet afternoon over the holidays.
26. A printed photo
One good photo from this year, printed small and slipped into a simple frame.
27. A handwritten coupon
"One dinner, cooked by me." Free, and it gets used.
28. An ornament for next year
Pick one that suits them, like a glass pickle for the pickle lover. More pickle ideas in our pickle gifts list.
29. Seeds for spring
A packet of herb seeds for the windowsill. Small, light and hopeful in December.
30. A jar they've never tried
A jar of something they have never eaten: pickled mushrooms, a strange jam, a hot honey. Unique stocking stuffers are about the surprise, not the size.
Order in time for Christmas
Our orders usually leave within one to two business days, and most arrive three to five business days after they ship. Holiday demand can add delays, so for stockings, order by the second week of December.
Stocking stuffer questions
What is usually in a stocking?
A mix of small things: something useful (socks, a tool), something to eat (chocolate, a jar, a snack), something fun (a game or a puzzle), and something heavy in the toe, like a clementine, a candle or a jar.
What are some cheap stocking stuffers for adults?
Childhood candy, a printed photo, a handwritten coupon, seeds, a deck of cards, hand cream and a good pen. Cheap works best when it is personal.
What do you put in a woman's stocking?
Lip balm, hand cream, warm socks, hair clips, a small candle, good chocolate and a treat for her kitchen, like a jar of pickled white shimeji for her cheese board.
What are good stocking stuffers for foodies?
Flaky salt, chili crisp, tinned fish, a microplane, olive oil, a spice blend and a box of pickled mushrooms in five flavors.
Do pickled mushrooms need to be refrigerated?
Not before opening. Our jars say to store them in a cool, dry place and refrigerate after opening, so a sealed jar can sit in a stocking until Christmas morning.
The short version
Fill a stocking from the toe up: something heavy, something useful, something to eat, something fun. A jar of pickled king oyster is the heavy, edible, unexpected one, and a 2-Pack fills two stockings. Order by the second week of December. For bigger presents, see our Christmas food gifts and gifts for mushroom lovers.