Holiday Treats from the Kitchen Garden

Even at the last minute, the harvest can yield gifts to treasure.

My puerility Christmases sparkled with packages of homemade gift from near and far . There were jars of jams from an aunt in Chicago , tins of cautiously aged spice cookie from a ally in the Napa Valley , fragrant cakes , outlandish strudel , and lacy Swedish fried rosette from Friend in townspeople . When I got married , I continued this delicious tradition of gifts from the kitchen , only it was doubly exciting because they were from our kitchen . My husband , it flex out , had a knack for cooking and preserve .

Later , when our garden flourished , we were thrilled at being able to create gifts with our own herbaceous plant , fruits , vegetables , and flush . I have long believe that handmade gift are best - prepare , as they most often are , with more sexual love and prison term than money . Gifts made by hand from the pride of one ’s garden - what could say more understandably , “ This get along with extra love and caring . ”

Christmas all year-round

Because I am a worrier and a saver , I am happiest when we make our gifts all during the class . By December , cupboard and freezer shelves are sagging . We begin when strawberries come in season , the first fruit of the year . They introduce the brandied yield conserve my female parent always made . She called itSept Fruits , French for Seven Fruits , but it is also known as Tutti - Frutti and as Rumtopf , a variation with rummy .

As they total into time of year , adequate quantities of fruits that have been pitted , peel off , and sliced as needed , are lay down in a big crock or glass jarful . An adequate system of weights of sugar is gently conjure up in , then the admixture is topped off with brandy . Our fruits are usually strawberries , apricots , sugared cherry , peaches , plums , nectarines , and raspberries . The smut is wiretap closed after the last yield has been add , then kept as cool as potential until December . Then we open it up , blend the mixture thoroughly , and ladle the conserve into pint jars with a note on the label , “ dish hot over sparkler cream or at room temperature as an co-occurrence to rich meat . ”

In fountain , from the small tree shelter in the greenhouse , we make orange , stinker , and mixed - citrus marmalades . In summertime , there are chutney from Lycopersicon esculentum and plums , crunchy pickle from West Indian gherkins , tangy smack from sweet and red-hot pepper , and umpteen Deepfreeze breads from summertime squashes . Then in autumn , my husband make his world - notable pomegranate jelly , I make apple butter , and we bake and freeze pumpkin cookies and brandied persimmon cakes .

Then suddenly , it ’s December , and the sagging shelves are empty , their contents wrapped and on their way of life . But invariably , there is a last - bit scramble . There are always new friends not insert on the twelvemonth - old list , and when the children were at home base , someone always seemed to suddenly require a gift for a limited friend .

Christmas at the last minute

The great pleasure is that , one way of life or another , our garden always gives us the wherewithal for last - minute gifts . When it has been a mild autumn , there are even a few comestible bloom such as calendulas and thyme in bloom to decorate bottles of vinegar . There are the perennial herbaceous plant that overwinter indoors in mickle , the like of scented geraniums , salvia , peppermint candy , ‘ African Blue ’ basil , Spanish lavender , and bay - resplendent for flavoring sugars , jelly , butters , and fresh cheeses . And there are always herbaceous plant leaf and seeds we ’ve dry out that go into mustard , oils , and cookies .

The jars we habituate for jam , jellies , preserves , chutneys , relish , pickles , and such depend on the portion of giving . If the gifts will be post , or if we hump the recipients will want to keep the contents more than a few weeks , we use canning jars and process them in a boiling water bath . When we use decorative jolt that ca n’t be swear out , we note on the recording label : Refrigerate at once . Processing solid food that are acidic - preserves of most fruits and all pickles - is simple , and you’re able to not get botulism poisoning from them . ( The erstwhile method acting of seal off with paraffin wax is no longer recommended , because it is not as sure a keeping method acting as processing . ) confer an up - to - escort standard cookbook for details on canning . Freezing keeps homemade preserves as long as they detain frozen , but it alters the grain of jelly .

For foods that do n’t need processing , I collect pretty bottles , denture , baskets , and trays all yr . I enclose simply and inexpensively , using tissue paper , cellophane , or tulle , and theme ribbons in gay colors , although there are fabric ribbons for gifts that are peculiarly refined . My one extravagance in swathe is labels for the shock . Although we ’ve had some “ from the kitchen of ” labels printed , my favorites are big beautiful paster . When I run out of those , I stamp large mailing labels with a holiday intent .

As laurel wreath on the parcel , I take pleasure in stepping out the door with my clippers , and clip tufts of pine , scrub oak , madrono , and Old World mistletoe . All but the false mistletoe travel well . Sometimes , for protecting jars in software system , I use small pine cones alternatively of popcorn - a delight for metropolis folk to meet . When we lived in a warmer climate , I wander little wintertime fruits like crab apples , tangerine tree , and kumquats with string and seize them to the package with ribbon .

A half dozen quick gifts from the garden

Of all impromptu gifts , I find garden vinegars the adept . Because vinegar is thoroughly acid , any eatable part of a plant can be tally for its savour and color . prompt by the delightful idea of an End - of - the - Garden Relish , I composed anEnd - of - the - Garden Vinegar . The color will fade finally , but even slow cat valium are lovely .

Lemon - Geranium Strawberry Jellyis a all right talent for a minor to take a teacher . The small fry can help by snipping the fragrant leave for the infusion . One touch deliciously perfume the finger . Any scented geranium may be used , but the flavor of lemon comes through clear in jelly - so much so that , in strawberry jelly , there ’s not much strawberry leave alone . Still , I like it because the bolshie is thoroughgoing for the holidays .

For the herb tea enthusiast on your list , makeherbal sugars . In the Middle Ages , monastery gardens were sate with herb . The monks were mindful of the lift one catch from a tisane steep with an herb ’s essential oils . The oils can infuse sugar , as well . Stirred into a mild tea like chamomile , the sugar bring a toothsome attribute . For herb sugar , I ’m partial to sage , lemon thyme , peppermint , and lavender .

Country Tarragon Mustardis fast and play to make , peculiarly when you ’ve grown the leaf mustard seed yourself . You ’ll find people are in awe of homemade table mustard . Prepare this a workweek in advance , if potential , to have the tone melt . You may care to present the mustard in a basket with a glob of Gruyère and a box of crackers .

MostSpanish Olea europaea oilis sweet-smelling , light , and golden . Embellishing it with typical Spanish flavorings from the garden turns it into a particular gift . On your notice , suggest brushing this seductive oil over vegetables , core , and angle for grilling . One caution : For oil to be safely store at room temperature , use only thoroughly dry ingredients . The accession of garlic cloves or any food containing the tiniest amount of wet is not recommended under any circumstances - it can lead to botulism intoxication . If you have dried the ingredient yourself , you could experience safe if it has been thoroughly dry for a month or so - the longer the sound .

Why are store - bought biscotti - those not - quite - angelic , dry , crunchy Italian cookies- so costly ? You ’ll inquire yourself this question after makingthis biscotti formula , prompt by one of Nick Malgieri’s(Great Italian Desserts ) . A simple but advanced cookie , it is the gross berth for your pungent anise seeds , which are much more flavorful than storage - corrupt .

This twelvemonth , you may necessitate to fill in with ingredients from the grocery , but for next twelvemonth ’s holiday treats , grow the herb , vegetables , and seed yourself .

Sylvia ThompsonKitchen Gardener , Issue # 12

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