Thrifty Gifts from Homegrown and Preserved Items

• Jams, jellies and preserves are a welcomed gift on their own. Amp up the gift with a basket of homemade biscuits and your gift recipient will be well on their way to a yummy breakfast! To add a little flair, nestle the biscuits and the jelly in a beautiful tea towel in a pretty gift bag or basket.

• Home-canned veggies elevate any meal. A gift of a jar or two of canned tomatoes paired with a soup or stew recipe will warm winter evenings and hearts. Write the recipe on a card, punch a hole in it, and tie it with raffia or pretty ribbon to the jar. If you have two or three different kinds of veggies, consider a gift basket with one of each included.

• Pickled items such as cucumbers, okra or a medley mix of several vegetables can be items for a charcuterie board. Make one out of hardwood or purchase.

• Herbs from your garden can be used to flavor vinegar for salads or other dishes. They also can be dried and added to spice jars. 

• Dried apples can be used in a variety of baked goods or other dishes.  

• Honey is a sweet gift that is a reminder of all the good nature has to offer. If you have beehives, add a special label to the jar with the name of your farm, or purchase from a nearby beekeeper. Wrap the jar in pretty fabric and tie with ribbon or place in a basket with any canned item. After all, without bees, we would not enjoy most fruits and vegetables!

• Meat from cattle or hogs you have raised will become an anxiously-awaited gift each year. A tradition of one family is to purchase sausage in bulk from a local butcher and then package it into two-pound bags. Because of the unwieldy shape, they simply wrap crepe paper around the plastic-wrapped meat to make a tidy bundle and tie it with ribbon. Deliver it so it can be enjoyed for a holiday breakfast. 

• If you or someone in your family is a hunter, consider a gift of a cut of venison for those who may not be able to get out into the woods  Whether it’s fresh or frozen, place the meat package in a sturdy brown bag and tie with a burlap ribbon with holiday greenery tucked into it. Include your favorite venison recipe. 

• In some parts of the country, pecan, walnut, and other nut trees abound. A jar of shelled nuts and a bread or cake recipe or one for seasoned or spiced nuts will give your recipient a head start on holiday baking.

Homemade items can be fun for the whole family. Making gifts together from items you have grown may likely be what your children remember in years ahead.

• Salt dough ornaments are a fun gift for all ages to make and receive. Herbs and flowers such as rosemary and johnny-jump-ups or other items from your garden can be pressed into the dough to make designs. Or use stamps with a holiday design. Cinnamon can be added to the dough to add holiday scent. Find the recipe below.

• Beautiful wreaths can be made with herbs or with dried flowers and seed pods. Dried hydrangea blossoms are stunning for year-round wreaths and arrangements.

• Garlands with dried apples, oranges, and cinnamon sticks or even wreaths made from dried apples or oranges are elegant looped with a satin ribbon as a hanger. 

• Goat milk soap is quite soothing for skin. Add peppermint oil to soap or bath bombs for a holiday themed, indulgent gift.