Ideas for Make-Ahead Food Gifts

foreign_correspondent

Hello,

For the people who asked about marmalade recipes, here goes..

At this time of year, seville (marmalade) oranges are not available - they come from spain and are only around for a week of two in January. So if you want to make marmalade now, you need to buy ready prepared canned seville oranges, these are branded "Ma Made" and are available in Tescos, for £1.15 for a big can.

I would really recommend these, they are just sliced and prepared fruit, ready to go! The marmalade tastes much better than most shop bought stuff IMHO!

To make a basic marmalade (orange or lemon) you just need Ma Made and a big bag of sugar (I think you need 1.8kg per can of oranges, but the exact measurements are on the back of the Ma-Made). This will make 6lbs of jam (about 8-10 small/medium jars - which works out very cheap per jar!!).

To make a darker, richer, marmalade add a dollop of dark treacle to the orange recipe (at the start). To make it 'extra special' add a glug of scotch whisky right at the end (switch the heat off and allow it to cool a bit first or all the alcohol seems to burn off and the whisky flavour dissapears! No need for expensive whisky here, and will give it a nice pep up!) I like it with both the treacle and whisky, it tastes very 'posh'!

I gave my gran a jar of the lemon marmalade early last weekend, as she has been poorly and needed cheering up - I went to see her today, she has had ot every morning for breakfast, and says it is lovely, much taster than the one she normally buys, and she has almost finished it!

foreign_correspondent

aarrgghh just realised I didnt really explain how you make the marmalade!

well, its dead easy...Basically, bung all the ingredients (ma-made, sugar and water, dark treacle if liked) into a BIG pan, borrow one if you havent got one, or i saw some in TK Maxx last week for £12. (i borrow my mums, but am thinking of buying one!)

Bung your clean jam jars into a low oven to warm up (this sterilises them too)

Bring marmalade mix to the boil, stirring all the time, then let it boil gently for about 15 mins. To test to see if it is done, dribble a little blob into a saucer, let it cool, push it with your finger and see if it wrinkles.. when it does it is done!

If adding whisly let it cool for five mins, then add a glug and stir it in!

Ladle hot marmalade into hot jars, wipe the rime clean with a very clean cloth, seal and thats it!

angel

I got a couple of answers re. the shortbread thanks to the OS Board (is there anything that they don't know over there?!).

It seems that shortbread can be kept for two weeks and possibly for up to a month as long as it's wrapped well and in an airtight container. Also make it with real butter.

MHANKS

I am also making xmas hampers for my family, i'm looking for a recipe for Chilli Jam & Tomato Chutney, if anyone has 1 that would be great.

My currently contain:
Fig & Ginger Jam
Caramalised Onion Chutney
Spicy Onion pickle
Mulled wine
Xmas cakes
- all home made

I am also going to make walnut stuffed dates covered in dark chocolate, ginger shortbread biscuits covered in chocolate and i have purchased gingerbread liquer (Vom Fass), flavoured tea, coffee & hot chocolate from Whittards.

Any other ideas would be much appreciated along with packaging ideas for the more perisable items (biscuits,etc)

Sunnyday

Twinks hobnobs freeze really well so they can be made in advance.

Once they are thawed ( only take half an hour) they can be put in litle cellophane bags and the top tied with ribbon.

I made some a while ago for a gift and they look really nice.

HTH
SD

rik1978

MHANKS, could you post your recipe for Caramelised Onion Chutney, I'm also doing food hampers for my grandad and step-grandparents and I think Caramelised Onion Chutney would go down a treat

I already have damson jam - we have a damson tree in our garden and had kilos of damsons off it this year, still have loads left in the freezer so if anyone has any other food hamper ideas using damson they would be gratefully recieved
I have also made Delia's christmas chutney
Beetroot Chutney (using my homegrown beetroots)
Damson Gin
Damson Vodka
Sloe Gin
Crab Apple and Chilli Jelly (got this recipe from cottagesmallholder.com)
Delias christmas cake

hoping to make some marmalade and then some biscuits nearer to xmas

Sian_the_Green

MHANKS wrote: »

I am also making xmas hampers for my family, i'm looking for a recipe for Chilli Jam & Tomato Chutney, if anyone has 1 that would be great.

This seems to combine the two together for a Tomato and Chilli 'jam'. It is really lovely and very easy to make. I didn't bother to food process anything, too hard to get the processor out of the cupboard never mind clean it afterwards
HTH

ELLA

Does anyone have a very simple recipe for a chutney to go with cold meats, i'm hoping it will be so simple even I can do it lol

NemoToad

I'm thinking of making a stollen to go in each of my food hampers. I was going to make a Christmas Cake but figured most of the people I'm making them for wouldn't want a cake as they'd already have one, so stollen will be a nice extra, and more special because I spent a year in germany and keep going back there

orangemoose88

I'm doing a similar sort of thing for family. I'm going to be making some preserves, some chocolates, some biscuits, some flavoured alcohol and some bath bombs and smellies hopefully.

So far my list is:
Chilli jam, recipe here
Caremalised onion chutney
Delia's christmas chutney, recipe here
Pickled cucumbers
Lemon Curd
Cranberry and clementine sauce, recipe here
Delia's lemon curd, recipe here

Chocolate truffles, plain and in a couple of flavours (so far I've got coffee and ginger)
I'm also gonna get an assortment of dried fruit to dip in dark chocolate and bag up.
Shortbread
Twink's HobNobs

Mulled wine and mulled cider
Toffee and Vanilla vodkas (using Werther's Originals or vanilla pods)

I've got some great ideas from this thread so thanks!

Does anyone know where I might be able to pick up some nice (and cheap!) wicker baskets to present it all in?