Edible Christmas Gifts from the Garden

Just because you have put your gardens to bed for the winter, does not mean you have to put your gardening minds to bed also. Christmas is a great time to break out the jars of jams and jellies, pickles, and vegetables you canned over the summer to give as homemade gifts to family, friends and neighbors. Every year my sister, who lives in Arkansas, gives us a couple jars of homemade pickles and jelly as a Christmas gift. My husband and I look forward to these simple gifts and I even manage to get a taste of the pickles before husband devours them (he loves them). There are many edible Christmas gifts a person can make and give from their gardens.

Idea for Edible Christmas Gifts from the Garden

First on my list is zucchini or pumpkin bread. A mini loaf of either bread wrapped in tin foil with a red bow looks lovely, and tastes great with a cup of hot coffee.

Any flavor of jam or jelly in a decorative jar is my next choice. Add them to a basket of homemade herbal bread or muffins and you have one great breakfast basket to give to a loved one.

Make a batch of lemon flavored thyme sugar cookies shaped from Christmas cookie cutters. Ice them with yellow colored icing and place them in a Christmas tin.

Homemade vegetable soup, canned in your own kitchen is a healthy and nutritious gift to give. Give this to a friend or family member to heat up on a cold winter's day. Put instructions on the jar that all they need do is add some cooked beef or chicken pieces (if they desire), heat and eat.

Fully cooked frozen vegetable potpies, fruit pies or pasta dishes made with homemade tomato sauce also make great gifts.

Try some homegrown popcorn in a basket with hot chocolate packets for a home movie night to give to a friendly neighbor.

Combine your dried herbs from your garden in a small plastic bag with instructions to add contents to a cup of sour cream to make a fantastic tasting dip. Add this to a basket of chips and party crackers.

Give a small tin full of bags of herbal teas such as sage, lavender and peppermint to your tea-loving friends. See how to make your own tea bags here.

These are just a few ideas on how to use the produce from your garden as Christmas gifts.