Make your own Christmas Prezzies!

nc6000

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Making hampers for the first time this year and need to get my arse in gear and get started on my preserves! Doing the following:

Chilli jam (Donal Skehan not Nigella!).
Spiced apple chutney.
Red onion marmalade.
Maple and cinnamon butter.
Christmas pudding vodka.
Mulling syrup.
Chocolate fudge.
Marshmallows.
Cranberry and pistachio biscotti.
Sweet'n'salt roast chickpeas.
And maybe lip balm.

All the jams/liquids will be jarred in the tall glass jars from here (SC013 at the bottom of the page). Also ordered cardboard trays from Alpack as well for packaging. Total cost for 100 jars, 200 caps and 50 trays was under €80 delivered to Cork, which ain't bad (Dubs can save over €20 shipping if they collect).

That's a great link for jars, thanks.

Are the tall jars you bought not a bit tricky for getting chutney and marmalade out of, especially when it's nearly gone?

Padraig Mor

nc6000 wrote: »

That's a great link for jars, thanks.

Are the tall jars you bought not a bit tricky for getting chutney and marmalade out of, especially when it's nearly gone?

Possibly, but a knife should be able to root it all out!

Pistachios & cream

I So love this thread. Made Hampers for the first time last year. this year i'm more organised about it.

I'm Making
Nigella's Chilli jam
A red peper, tomato and chilli jam
Christmas chutney
Barbeque Sauce
Strawberry & Chocolate jam
Vanilla extract
Mint Chocolate fudge
White chocolate fudge
Cookie dough
Brownie mixes
Hot chocolate mixes

It's a long list but i have a big family and most people will only get a selection!

So far i've all the preserves made so just the mixes and sweet items to be done.

Have 3 of the preserves nearly finished as regards labelling ( i love creating labels so i go a bit OTT with them) The jars in the images below just need one more label to be tied on and maybe some nice material on the cover!

Blingy

Ahayes84 can I have the recipe for the Xmas chutney and the red pepper tomato and chilli jam.
You have so much done!! Love the jars and labels. Where did u get all the jars?

Pistachios & cream

Blingy wrote: »

Ahayes84 can I have the recipe for the Xmas chutney and the red pepper tomato and chilli jam.
You have so much done!! Love the jars and labels. Where did u get all the jars?

Hi Blingy, I also got my jars from alpack. i used the square and hexagonal jars on this page (they used the same size caps!) and the hexagonal jar on this page.

The christmas chutney is Mary Berry's and can be found here i used courgettes instead of aubergines.

The red pepper, tomato and chilli jam is based on this recipe but i used less chilli and more red pepper. sorry i can't be more specific then that. Also it takes a lot longer to reach setting point than the recipe states.

Yeah i'm a lot better organised than last year but this year i'm gainfully employed so don't have the time for last minute xmas pressie making!

strawberrytart

Would you also be able to share the Strawberry and Chocolate Jam recipe please????

Pistachios & cream

strawberrytart wrote: »

Would you also be able to share the Strawberry and Chocolate Jam recipe please????

Hi Strawberry tart, i based the jam on this recipe but i changed it a lot.

It's a 2 part recipe over 2 days and when i tasted it on the 2nd day i didn't like it. it tasted like a dark chocolate version of a cadbury's roses strawberry sweet. Basically the over whelming taste was of chocolate with a high sweetness.
so i ended up using an extra 500g of strawberrys to create more jam and then added in the already made mixture. this gave me a strawberry jam with a lovely taste of chocolate which is what i wanted.

So it depends on how you like things if your similar to me i'd say this recipe will work best for you.

1.5 kg strawberries

1200g sugar ( i used jam sugar)

juice of 1 lemon

200g bittersweet chocolate ( 68%- 70%) ( i may have even used less) Grated or chopped small ( i used chocolate drops)

Day 1:
Hull the strawberries and give them a hasty rinse. (i used strawberries from the garden we had frozen during the summer so i'd say any frozen strawberries would work)
Divideberries into two, mash one half with a fork and chop roughly the other half.
In a preserving pan, mix the strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to the boil and cook 5 minutes, stirring gently and skimming carefully.

Add the chocolate in stages ( so you can taste it and decide how chocolatey you want it) and stir until it melts.

Pour into a bowl, Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2:
Next day, return the mixture into a preserving pan. Continue cooking on high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring and skimming if needed. Return to a boil. Check the set. Put the jam into sterilized jars immediately and seal.

The reason for this technique of cooking the jam twice is that the chocolate and the fruit will combine more thoroughly and the tastes "ripen" together.

To be honest if i was making this again i don't think i'd bother doing it over 2 days. i tasted in on day one and on day 2 and there was no noticeable difference and i'm sure the flavours will combine in the jars!

Musefan

Hey, I was wondering if anyone in this thread might have some advice for me. I am a student and things are REALLY tight money-wise. I was wondering if anyone could suggest 2-3 cheap things to make that I could give to family. A nice mix of savory and sweet would be great. Things like chilli jam are nice but if I can keep the cost of things like jars etc. down that would be perfect!

EZ24GET

You could always do some mixes in mugs, or cookies or candies in a white paper lunch sack you've decorated. Cocoa mixes or teas in a mug some sweets to eat with the drink and the mug to keep. It really is the thought that counts.

MissFlitworth

Musefan wrote: »

Hey, I was wondering if anyone in this thread might have some advice for me. I am a student and things are REALLY tight money-wise. I was wondering if anyone could suggest 2-3 cheap things to make that I could give to family. A nice mix of savory and sweet would be great. Things like chilli jam are nice but if I can keep the cost of things like jars etc. down that would be perfect!

Could you ask friends to keep jars aside for you instead of binning/recycling them?

ladypip

Musefan wrote: »

Hey, I was wondering if anyone in this thread might have some advice for me. I am a student and things are REALLY tight money-wise. I was wondering if anyone could suggest 2-3 cheap things to make that I could give to family. A nice mix of savory and sweet would be great. Things like chilli jam are nice but if I can keep the cost of things like jars etc. down that would be perfect!

If you go to keep jars or ask friends to keep them like the previous poster said, and to make up the rest of what you need Go to Tesco and buy the cheapest thing in jars you can find. Someone last year did the same and I'm sure if you look back over the thread you will find what the cheapest thing in jars was last year.

jinxremoving

Lidl marmalade is 65 cent and the jars are quite a nice unusual shape. Some nice paper over the lid and a bit of cheap ribbon and it looks lovely :-)

Blingy

jinxremoving wrote: »

Lidl marmalade is 65 cent and the jars are quite a nice unusual shape. Some nice paper over the lid and a bit of cheap ribbon and it looks lovely :-)

Just bought some of these jars today for a chutney I'm currently making. The jars are lovely.

Tabitharose

made a red onion marmalade yesterday, the recipe was from one of the offer leaflets from aldi and tried it today - tasted pretty good with some cheese - might be a possible Christmas present contender!

Michellenman

Got a load of lovely kilner jars in ikea at the weekend. €1.75 a piece. Going to use those and the used jars I've been collecting for the last few weeks. Hoping to start making the jams and chutneys next week!

Padraig Mor

Made my first pressie the other night! Chilli jam...........which I am renaming Sweet Chilli sauce after mistakenly using a kilo, rather than a pound, of sugar.

strawberrytart

Tabitharose wrote: »

made a red onion marmalade yesterday, the recipe was from one of the offer leaflets from aldi and tried it today - tasted pretty good with some cheese - might be a possible Christmas present contender!

Would you be able to share the recipe please? I tried to get one of the leaflets at weekend and couldnt find it, Thanks.

Tabitharose

here you go hope the type's ok to read - if not shout & I'll type it out!

catho_monster

Here's another recipe for onion marmalade that I made for gifts two Christmases ago - everyone raved about it and were asking for the recipe: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/fruitandvegetables/7961953/Recipes-for-preserving-and-pickling.html

Oh! It also occured to me that we should start looking out for the fruit & veg specials in the supermarkets - it there's no (financial) point in making jams and chutneys if we're not making them when the fruit and veg is plentiful and cheap. For example, last week when I was shopping, Lidl had apples and tomatoes on special. Both could have been used as bases for chutneys...

Tabitharose

catho_monster wrote: »

Oh! It also occured to me that we should start looking out for the fruit & veg specials in the supermarkets

totally with you on that one picked up the red onions to try the marmalade with for 39c for 750g in lidl on Sat!

Padraig Mor

Tabitharose wrote: »

totally with you on that one picked up the red onions to try the marmalade with for 39c for 750g in lidl on Sat!

Same here - 3 bags full! Made the marmalade last night - expected it to take 3 hours.....took 6! Spooning out fecking marmalade at 2am this morning!

Blingy

So far I have made the spiced apple chutney and a Christmas chutney. They took hours and hours to reduce which was just annoying and the kitchen still smells of vinegar!!
Might try the chilli jam next.

Pistachios & cream

Blingy wrote: »

So far I have made the spiced apple chutney and a Christmas chutney. They took hours and hours to reduce which was just annoying and the kitchen still smells of vinegar!!
Might try the chilli jam next.

Yes i find the recipes are always way off on how long it takes to reduce! If it's the nigella chilli jam you are making it is the worst of the lot for the vinegar smell!

Does anyone know around when will aldi stock fresh cranberries or where they can be got now for a reasonable price? Tesco have them but they are €3.99 for 250g and i'd like to get them cheaper then that.

Musefan

MissFlitworth wrote: »

Could you ask friends to keep jars aside for you instead of binning/recycling them?

Thanks for all the info. I have sent out a "DO NOT THROW AWAY" order Think I will go with a chilli jam, homemade crackers, chocolate cookies and something else

blueturnip

So I got cracking two weekends ago! Went to Ikea and got some jars and stuff.

So far I have made

Carrot jam
Spiced beetroot & orange chutney
Onion marmalade
Christmas Pudding Vodka

I had a little taster of each before putting into the jars, I was well pleased! I am only worried I haven't sterilised my jars properly and it will all go horribly wrong by Christmas.

Still looking for something suitable to put the biscuits in (when I make them)...

I probably only need to give to 2 people and there should be about 30 biscuits each. Any suggestions welcome!

Pistachios & cream

blueturnip wrote: »

Still looking for something suitable to put the biscuits in (when I make them)...

I probably only need to give to 2 people and there should be about 30 biscuits each. Any suggestions welcome!

Maybe Dealz or the €2 store will have those decorated tins you see at christmas?

something like these

strawberrytart

I have seen people using spagetti jars for biscuits, the round ones, you can get a good few round biscuits into that on top of each other.

Goodne

Just bottled my spiced arancellop made using this recipe: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8025/spiced-arancello My god I have to say its gorgeous! I was going to give away the two bottles but I'm keeping one now.

suomi

Goodne wrote: »

Just bottled my spiced arancellop made using this recipe: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8025/spiced-arancello My god I have to say its gorgeous! I was going to give away the two bottles but I'm keeping one now.

I saw that recipe earlier and thought it sounded amazing, I'd love to try it! What does it taste like? Can you taste the vodka in it?

catho_monster

Goodne wrote: »

Just bottled my spiced arancellop made using this recipe: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8025/spiced-arancello My god I have to say its gorgeous! I was going to give away the two bottles but I'm keeping one now.

Just reading the comments on the website, did you alter the sugar quantities? Sounds like a winner of a recipe!