Good Question: Cheap, Pretty, and Airtight Gift Packaging for Granola?

Time to start thinking about holiday food gifts! This is our favorite part of December, and reader Rebecca helps us kick it off with this question:

I've decided to make granola for friends and family this Christmas, in part to simplify the holiday. But I'm not sure what to do about packaging. I'm loath to put my organic treats in plastic tubs or bags, but I want the granola to stay somewhat fresh and money is tight. Any ideas?

Rebecca, our biggest suggestion is quart-sized glass Mason jars, which, as you may be able to tell, we like for storing all kinds of things.

They're also easy to dress up and decorate, like the ones pictured above from AfricanKelli's Flickr set. You can see a lot more of her projects and homemade gifts in her Jars of Renewal set here:

• Jars of Renewal at Flickr

Glass jars like these are recyclable, pretty, and airtight. They'll keep the granola fresh. They also just feel more weighty and substantial than plastic packaging. We love reusing these for storage and for casual arrangements of flowers.

They are also inexpensive; you can find them for less than a dollar a jar at some hardware stores and dollar stores.

• Buy quart canning jars: Wide Mouth Quart Mason Jars, $14.55 for a dozen at Amazon

Shipping will cost you, though; we would suggest buying these at any hardware store or even a grocery store.

One other idea is packing granola into wax paper bags, and then into decorated brown paper sacks, like the ones pictured above from Martha Stewart and our own post last December. Here are more suggestions for using bags to package food.

• Good Product: Natural Value Unbleached Wax Paper Bags
• Un-Gift Guide 2007: Old-Fashioned Candy Goodie Bags

Here are our favorite granola recipes:

• Granola with Almonds, Apricots, Cranberries, and Pineapple
• Basic Granola Formula
• Bittersweet Granola
• Homemade Granola

What else? What other ideas do you have for packing gifts like granola? And do you have photos to share? Link them up!

(Images: Flickr member africankelli licensed for use under Creative Commons; Martha Stewart; Amazon.com; Martha Stewart)

Comments (3)

I'll second mason jars. If your grocery store gives you puzzled looks and then leads you to the jam (like mine did) try a hardware store. I know the OSH by me carries them and so does the ACE. The Safeway in Davis, CA did, the Safeway in the Bay area had no idea what I was talking about, but a local grocery store might have them, especially if you live in an agricultural area. Good luck!

Oh, and I've heard you can sometimes find them at the thrift store.

I've got the same plan and I've been saving jars from big things like pasta sauce. Washed and with the label off, they make a perfectly serviceable gifting vehicle for my granola.

I've been following Kelli's Jars of Renewal projects and love the idea! I've made hot cocoa mix this year for friends.