On the day and weekend after Thanksgiving, hordes of gift givers will stand in lines, battle crowds, and succumb to the madness of retail. Others of us like to take a quieter, and perhaps more gratifying, approach to the holiday weekend – it's time to begin making edible gifts!
Homemade treats like cookies and candies can be tackled later in December but vinegars, liqueurs, and some condiments should be started now to give the flavors time to develop. To participate in "Craft Friday" you might need to step out for some ingredients but otherwise you get to stay home by yourself or with loved ones, enjoy the warmth and coziness of your kitchen, and eat leftover pie while you work ... sounds pretty ideal, no?
Here are a few projects that would make delicious, thoughtful gifts. They take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks (mostly hands-off), and in many cases you can get as creative as you like with flavorings and invent your own fruit, herb, and spice combinations.
Fruit
• Boozy Cherries
• Brandied Figs
• Preserved Lemons
• Spanish Fig & Almond Balls
Liquor & Liqueur
• How To Infuse Vodka
• Infused Vodkas (and DIY Tips!) from Sub Rosa Spirits
• How To Make Sweet Milk Liqueur
• Homemade Cocktail Mixers
• Cranberry Liqueur
• Crema di Limoncello
• Quince Ratafia
Mustard
• How To Make Mustard At Home
Olive Oil
• How to Infuse Olive Oils
Vinegar
• Make Fruit Vinegar
• Improvisational Cherry Vinegar
• Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
• Shrub (Drinking Vinegar)
Are you staying in to work on homemade gifts? What are you making?
Related: Yummy Presents: 40 Homemade Gifts from The Kitchn
(Images: Emma Christensen; Faith Durand)
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truffles and apple cider caramels are in the works here.
I'm making Nar Eksisi (Pomegranate Sour) for all my co-workers this year. I'm including a couple of recipes to use it as well.
Last year I made several flavors of biscotti to give as Christmas Gifts and the year before, truffles. Most of my friends don't drink liquor, so I'm waiting to hear more ideas, before I decide what to make this year.
I made homemade vanilla extract!
http://scrumptiousgruel.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/getting-martha-on-your-arse/
I've been working on gifts all year, as a jar of jam and pickles in a pretty bag is simple and fun. Next year I may go the vanilla extract route, but I've still got plenty so I don't want to order beans and bottles quite yet.
Love all the great ideas for homemade gifts people will truly appreciate. Way nicer then the cheap, processed and artificial drink mixes they sell at the store.
I'm planning to make Irish cream, chocolate-nut spread (aka Nutella) and possibly grapefruit curd. But I'm not sure how long the latter two keep and I don't want to do actual canning - it's intimidating - so I might wait until later.
These are all such great ideas, and I can't wait to try a few. However, I fly back home to spend Christmas with my family, and wouldn't be able to bring any of the liquids on the plane (and many of them need to age before use). Maybe I could make a couple at my parent's house though...
Sherri S: I made flavored butters one year, needing inexpensive gifts while unemployed. I bought butter on sale, melted it in a double boiler, then added flavors like lemon, Parmesan cheese or crushed walnuts. I poured them into small glass dishes that I bought at a dollar store. Then they were refrigerated until ready to give.
Each recipient got one dish of each flavor, wrapped in colorful plastic wrap and labels that I printed on my printer.
The butters were a big hit, often being used to flavor steamed veggies.
Today I made cranbery and coffee liqueurs. I'm excited about the future rewards.
Thanks LuvMy Pad for a great idea!