Easy Edible DIY Gifts You Can Make Right Now
An edible gift can make someone feel loved just like a delicious homemade meal. They also leave no clutter behind them, providing a coveted getaway from the sea of haunted consumer goods that have become synonymous with the holiday season. If you can’t tell, I’m a big fan.
As with any gift, knowing your audience is important when preparing and distributing homemade food. Don’t give candied pecans to your nut allergic cousin, and if you’re planning to send Claire to a can of your homemade giardiner, don’t use celery. If you want to make edible gifts for someone you know very well, you can add lots of little personal touches – like copies of their favorite snacks with a handwritten recipe booklet – to make it really special. Last year’s guide has five great, reliable gift ideas, and this year we’re back with more you can prepare ahead of time.
(Disclaimer: I recommend some canned food here. In the interest of safety, I’ve only suggested highly acidic foods that are safe for bain-marie canning. However, you should read the USDA’s guide to safe home canning before starting. You want your gifts to express love, affection, and appreciation, not botulism.)
- Curd, delicious curd: I would love to eat a whole can of lemon curd with a spoon, but I understand that some may find it more “gloomy” than “classic”. Swap out limes , cranberries , passionfruit , grapefruit, or clementines for lemons and you’ve got a delicious version of the classic that’s still sour enough to be safely canned at home.
- Pickles and Condiments: There is no love as pure or as fierce as the love between a pickled freak and their savory snacks. Place a can of homemade frog , beans , pickled fennel or good old buttered bread in your favorite Pickle Freak stocking and watch their eyes light up. If they are known to love a couple of pickles, bring them a small bottle of good whiskey to earn bonus points.
- Customized Spice Blends: Blending is virtually effortless and provides a thoughtful and useful gift with a long shelf life. If you want to get more involved, why not make a garam masala or curry powder from scratch for the dedicated chef in your life?
- Candied Nuts: Homemade candied nuts that addictive sour-salty-crunchy rich thing happens and is a harder way to stop eating than they have to do. I’ve heard they keep for a month at room temperature, but can’t eat them slowly enough to confirm.
- Homemade Brownie Mix : Combine the dry ingredients for these chocolate brownies in one bowl in a cute little jar, attach a recipe card and add compliments.
- Infused honey: just toss a few sprigs of herbs or fresh spices into the honey, let sit for 5 days and strain into a clean jar; since it is honey, it will last forever. (The Kitchn has a great honey infusion guide here .) If you have access to fresh, local honey, definitely use it for that.
- Custom-Made Liqueurs: Whether it’s the lovely limoncello or the devil’s cannabis tincture , homemade liqueurs seem quirky and truly astounding. The Skillet fits comfortably in the pocket of the Big Sous Vide, but you can brew without the immersion circulator – it just takes longer.
Winter break is about spreading love, and for many of us, food is the best way to do it. I hope this list inspires you to prepare delicious treats for the people you love – and if your family has an edible gift tradition that I haven’t mentioned, I want to hear all about it below.