Jar Recipes for Gift Giving

In recent years, jar recipes for gift giving during the holiday season have been growing in popularity. There are all kinds of jar mixes available ranging from hot, spiced tea mixes for tea lovers to cake or cookie mixes in a jar. Hot chocolate jar mixes are another seasonal favorite, and are easy to put together. You can even concoct jar mixes for a variety of soup and side dish recipes. This is one gift that busy friends, neighbors and co-workers are likely to appreciate.

You can prepare your own homemade mixes in quick easy steps and at a fraction of the cost you would pay for store bought jar recipes. For most recipes you will need a quart-size canning jar with lid. Assemble the basic ingredients needed to prepare the recipe. Layer dry ingredients inside the jar in the order in which they should be added. Or, you may choose to layer ingredients to be visually appealing.

Write out step-by-step instructions on a recipe card and use it as a gift tag. Decorate the jars with colorful ribbon, hand crocheted doilies, dishcloths, raffia or scraps of fabric. Keep in mind that an attractive presentation is part of the gift. Depending on the recipe, you might want to attach a small whisk, wooden spoon, cookie cutter or anything else that applies. Don’t be afraid to use your imagination. It’s also a nice touch to send along a sample of the recipe already prepared.