Gifts from the Garden | Food and Drink

Amber Pollei

Spread cheer to family and friends with these simple, thoughtful, delicious gifts from the garden. And while many of these ideas can be beautifully gifted in Mason jars, don’t let that scare you—there’s little to no canning involved!

Herbs for the Holidays

Fresh herbs are a wonderful way to share your garden at the holidays, as they’re easy to grow and even easier to gift. For a fresh foodie gift (perfect for a hostess), how about herb butter, gifted in a pretty crock—simply chop your favorite herbs and mix with room-temperature butter, then refrigerate. Herb-infused olive oils or vinegars make for another perfect hostess treat, and look elegant packaged in an inexpensive glass bottle with a holiday tag.

Just-picked herbs can be quickly dried in a low-temp oven or air-dried in a few days, ready for any number of savory stocking stuffers. Mix up batches of gourmet salts with dried herbs (like Herbes de Provence Salt) and divvy up into little jars. To complete the gift, add a small wooden spoon and a bow, along with a recipe suggestion or two. Have a friend who’d rather relax in a bath than in the kitchen? Rosemary and lavender scented bath salts packed in a small apothecary jar will delight any aromatherapy aficionado.

Zest and Brightest

From grapefruits to tangerines, Meyer lemons to blood oranges, it’s a great time for citrus.