Gift Jar Recipes for the Holidays
Recipe Kits are Quick and Inexpensive to Make
Oct 22, 2008 Marcia Passos Duffy
In these tough economic times, this holiday gift-giving season will be a challenge: you want to find gifts that are practical, inexpensive, and will be appreciated by the receiver. You may decide that to save money you’ll hand-craft gifts, but you may be short on time, creativity, or both.
The answer? Gift jar recipe kits. These kits are simply the raw ingredients to make delicious treats, along with a printed recipe, packaged in glass canning jars.
The receiver can have all the fun cooking up and eating these gifts. You can have all the fun putting it together in creative ways.
How to Create Gift Jars
First, decide what you want to give (see recipes below) and how you will package your kit. Mason canning jars are inexpensive and look elegant. You can also use empty spaghetti sauce or other glass jars and clean them thoroughly by running through the dishwasher. Use colorful scrap material (or you can purchase inexpensive quilting squares) to place around the lid, secured by a rubber band or a ribbon.
Make recipe gift cards using 3 x 5 unruled white index cards. You can make these as plain or dressed up as you’d like. Fold over length-wise (like a card) and punch a hole in the corner. Print out the recipe (that you’ve typed into a document and used some fancy – but readable – fonts) and glue onto the inside of the index card. On the outside of the card decorate with felt tip markers, glitter, rubber stamps, or simply a matching fabric glued on.
Now fill the jars with a recipe of your choice. Layering the ingredients in the jars creates a festive touch. Don’t forget to include the recipe cards with your gift.
Here are two of my favorite recipes. Each recipe will fill one 32 ounce Mason jar; if making more than one, multiply ingredients by the number of jars you’d like to give as gifts.
Cranberry Hootycreeks
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white or dark semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Combine the flour, soda and salt together. Layer the ingredients in a 1 quart jar in the order listed.
Attach a tag with these instructions:
Cranberry Hootycreeks:
Preheat oven to 350°F; grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until fluffy. Add the entire jar of ingredients, and mix together until well blended. Drop by heaping teaspoonful onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges start to brown. Cool on baking sheets or wire racks. Makes 18 cookies
Boston Baked Beans Mix in a Jar
If you’ve ever wondered why Boston is called “Beantown” this recipe is the reason! Beans slow-baked in molasses has been a favorite of Bostonians since colonial times.
2 cups small white pea beans
½ tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
Mix everything except the beans in a bowl. Assemble in a Mason jar, layering the dry mix and beans for a “sand art” effect.
Attach the tag instructions:
Boston Baked Beans:
2 slices diced bacon (omit if you want a vegetarian recipe and substitute 2 tablespoons of safflower or other vegetable oil)
4 3/4 cups water
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tbsp dark molasses
Combine all ingredients, above, and the jar ingredients in a crockpot or bean pot. Cook on LOW in crockpot for 10 to 12 hours, or at 300 degrees F in oven, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
More gift jar recipes (with printable tags) visit: Gifts in a Jar and Organized Christmas
Mason Jars, Ready to Be Filled with Gift Recipes
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