Homemade food gifts as christmas presents

[FlowersAndShit]

What do you all think about homemade hampers with things like hm shortbread? Would you appreciate them or would they go straight in the bin?

All you need with (good!) chutney is a spoon.

Sorry it's a no from me.
Lovely neighbour brought round a 'hamper' (god I hate that word) of homemade things for Christmas last year.
I know the thought and effort that had gone into it, and I was truly touched by the gesture, 100% I was.
However, the whole thing smelt of her stinky dog and the smell festered on all the jars and bags of things she had made with the help of her dc.
They are very good friends of ours but since they got their dog we have rarely set foot in the house as it absolutely stinks.
She brought some clothes round last week for one of my dc that had been outgrown by one of hers. I put them on the bannister on top of the coats before I did the school run.
Went to grab my scarf that evening and I stank of their dog from the clothes I'd put on top earlier
I wouldn't eat anything that came out of their house, and I wouldn't eat anything that was made at anyone else's house either.
Give me soap and glory any day!

Cakeninja do you ever eat out in Cafes or Restaurants?

Chilli Jellly with Lime Zest

I make it using an apple base so cook down a huge panful of sour apples - cookers or windfall - and strain as you would making a normal sweet jelly. I add lemon juice to make sure it's good and tart - so for 6lb of apples I'd use the juice of 3 or 4 lemons. Strain using muslin (although I don't hold with dramatics and strain it through a sieve lined with kitchen paper!!) and reduce the liquid by at least 2/3rds then measure.
However much you have in ml is how much sugar you'll need to add so add that, dissolve slowly and then add chilli flakes. Now that bit is entirely up to you - we like it good and hot but if you want it milder add fewer. It's obviously better to add slowly and taste for hotness and do bear in mind it will get hotter as you're cooking it for a set.
When setting point is reached quickly stir in the finely grated zest of three limes then pot as usual, seal and keep for as long as you want! I just used the last of a two year old jar and it had matured beautifully! I think that's right - it's late, I'm tired and my Dad got admitted to hospital tonight so if there's something that doesn't make sense please do point it out!

Oh yes - the zest does tend to float to the top a bit - to solve this I invert the jars a few times whilst it's cooling and that helps spread it more evenly throughout the jelly.

Yes.
But my food doesn't ever come out smelling of dog, thankfully!

Ingredients for homemade things have all been made too, butter, chocolate etc have all been 'produced'.

I don't like receiving homemade things. It's not a crime. It's a personal preference.

My friend is lovely. But her house stinks.

That sounds delicious dove-thanks.

Hope your dad's ok.

We made hampers for DPs parents and grandparents when we were at uni. It meant we could spread the cost out. We bought some things, made others and then raided Selfridges late to get some clearance stuff to finish it up. They liked them.

I think it's lost its uniqueness now that everyone is doing them, it seems Pinterest and Christmas magazines and even This Morning are always touting hampers. We need to let them die down so it's an exciting surprise again.

Dove - if you stir in your zest and leave the jelly to cool in the pan for 15/20 mins before jarring, the zest usually floats in the jelly better and doesn't ris to the top...

I would love a hamper with homemade goodies.

Much the best sort of present.

Yes if it is stuff that will last a while, so that I can eat it gradually after the Christmas excesses. So yes to jam, chutney, alchohol, fruit cake. No to biscuits and other perishables. But don't use me as a reason to use up all your horrible home grown marrows and dress them up as artisan preserves. I threw away the marrow and ginger chutney after 2 years because I needed a jar.

I make it for people I know will appreciate it. I often have requests, I suspect that's because I make a lot of fruit gin/brandy/liqueurs as well as cakes/biscuits etc

Thanks all - it occurs to me on rereading that I mean fl oz instead of ml for sugar. I think. Anyway - those of you who make jelly will know what I mean!

I would love it BUT there are people who have dietary restrictions. Would be sad if your present couldn't be enjoyed.

I make mincemeat to give to friends most christmases. I'm not in the UK this year and I've had several people complaining that this year and that their mince pies won't be the same. I also have one friend who regifts it to their mum in exchange for a dozen mincepies made from it! I make several batches to pander to different food allergies, one without nuts, one with gluten free suet, etc. I have to say that mincemeat is really easy to make and once you've tried your own you won't buy it again. I use delia's recipe for normal mincemeat and I make a pear and ginger one from river cottage.

On another note, what do people buy for their Dad's if they don't make something? If my Dad wants something he buys it and if he doesn't want it and you get it for him it'll stay in it's packet. We get around this by either getting him something with a picture of his granddaughers on or by making him something. If it's from me then it'll be a stollen or a tray of his favourite blondies (both of which you can freeze so he doesn't have to eat it during the christmas glut). The girls make and decorate biscuits or something like that.

My parents are in their 80s. They're still pretty active and very on the ball, but they are not as mobile and energetic as they were and things like cooking are becoming a little bit more of an effort. They live very near an excellent restaurant that does Winter Warmer lunches right through to the spring as well as wonderful food in the evening. For some years now I've given them a joint present of a gift token for this restaurant. I ring the proprietor up a week or two before Christmas and he draws up a token for my parents to collect. They just present it every time they go for a meal until it runs out - they usually get half a dozen lunches between January and Easter. They seem to really like it so I plan to do that again this year.

I make chocolates which everyone says they love maybe while secretly throwing them away. But I have to pick my audience as they don't keep long - so really limited to people I see on xmas eve ,
which is usually no-one these days as both our families go away. More for us!!

I agree it's pick your audience - FIL likes eg a mug with the DCs' photo on but doesn't have a sweet tooth so blackberry vodka would be wasted on him.

On the other hand I don't get the point of valuable bought presents for adults really and I have to wonder why on earth you'd buy a Christmas present for someone you're not close enough to for you to be able to handmake something even if it isn't perfect.

I noticed they had kilner jars of various sizes (well, small or medium) for a reasonable price in Sainsbos today.
My DD likes to give her friends a jar of sweeties for birthday pressies, and they've been well received. I think they look very cute. Easy and popular!

I think the issue is that its more about the giver than the receiver.
I choose thoughtful presents and love hunting down something that I know they will really like.
A pot of jam or sloe gin is a bit impersonal really, however much you think its thoughtful . I don't eat jam/drink gin.

Those who would happily eat stuff made by children and in particular decorated by them have obviously never had worms or noro < straight in bin>

That just sounds provocative. Acceptable or go in the bin. Is it acceptable to have no manners and a complete lack of grace.

And I would guess someone making something would check if the present was suitable just the same as if they were buying. There's no difference really.

FanFucking I would assume anyone who makes their gifts would be good at doing so, otherwise what would be the point.

Notoe I totally agree. The point is you're getting nice natural ingredients. The person who said they don't prefer homemade over shop bought is thoughtless to the effort and thought by the other person making something nice out of natural ingredients. How miserable and the poor person giving them their efforts are wasted. The person mentioning everything smelling of dog though, fair enough sounds like a case of poor hygiene.

This would be my idea of heaven- although someone does make us homemade drinks and vinegars every year which I'm delighted with- my dp is like "meh"