Holiday

We know it’s not always easy to use up everything that arrives in your box of misfit produce, so what better way to use the rest of your box than to add a bow and gift it to your friends and family? That’s why we compiled this list of our favorite giftable homemade recipes that are so tasty you might just keep them for yourself. What’s more, use your leftover Misfits boxes to ship gifts to faraway folk or to carry bulk items to your local pantry to give back during the holidays.

Candied Ginger

The benefits are two-fold: Not only is candied ginger a chewy, candy-like treat to snack on any time, but ginger is also full of good-for-you health benefits like combating nausea. We think it’s possibly the perfect gift for friends or family partaking on cross-country road trips this holiday. It’s sweet and spicy and an easy way to use a lot of that ginger you might get this time of year.

Hot Pepper Jelly

Homemade hot pepper jelly combines sweet and grassy bell peppers with spicy jalapeños to make a colorful and versatile spread. Give it to friends and tell them to use it as a way to spice up their classic PB&J sandwiches, combine it with cream cheese to make a spicy spread for bagels, or even blend it into homemade margaritas for a surprising layer of flavor.

Oatmeal-Chip Cookie Mix

Grab a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Old-Fashioned Oats from our Marketplace and use them to make a layered cookie-in-a-jar mix that makes baking so much easier. The best part? You probably have all of the other crucial ingredients in your pantry, making this an affordable way to say Happy Holidays.

Citrus-Infused Gin

There’s a reason alcohol is one of the easiest and most-commonly gifted items at the holidays. However, there’s something that just feels impersonal about a generic bottle of wine. Enter: homemade infused gin. Take leftover citrus, like lemons, limes, and even oranges, to make an infused liquor that feels more sentimental than your average bottle of booze.

Herb-Infused Olive Oil

A nice bottle of olive oil goes a long way—it’s one edible gift you know will actually be used over and over again!—but there’s something extra special about a custom bottle that comes from your kitchen. If you recently grabbed fresh herbs from our Marketplace, like rosemary, thyme, or sage, you can use those herbs in a fragrant and flavorful infused oil. Simply combine 1 cup of packed fresh herbs with 2 cups of olive oil, let it steep over heat for about an hour, and then strain into a pretty bottle. Recipes below.

Note: Homemade infused oils should always be refrigerated and enjoyed within 2-4 days. In order to enjoy homemade oils at room temperature, fresh garlic and fresh herbs should first soak in a citric acid solution to avoid any contamination. Dry herbs are the best for at-home infused oils. Learn more.

Chocolate-Dipped Candied Orange Peels

Use the entire orange in this easy homemade candy. After you candy your orange peels—thin orange slices are covered with a simple syrup and left to dry—dip them in rich dark chocolate and a sprinkle of your favorite sea salt for a tangy, sweet, and salty treat. It’s a gourmet snack your friend will be shocked to hear you made yourself! Recipe below.

Caramelized Onion and Bacon Jam

Not all jams are created equal and not all jams are sweet! Though, due to this one being jam-packed (get it?) with sweet caramelized onions, you’ll get a nice sweetness with a savory-salty hit of bacon. Tell your gifted pal to top it on burgers and crackers with soft cheese, serve it with eggs, and even toss it with pasta and nutty Parmesan cheese.

Preserved Lemons

Lemons are one of the biggest reasons we are asked “what the heck am I supposed to do with all of this food?” If you’re not a big cocktail drinker or you use the zest of a lemon and not the rest of the pulp, you might be left scratching your head at how employ this sour citrus. Luckily, there’s one brilliant idea that allows you to use a lot of lemons at once and it’s one of those “set it and forget it” deals. The recipe? Preserved lemons, or lemons that have been pickled in salt and their own juices. Once you gift them, chopped preserved lemons can be added to salads, Moroccan-inspired dishes, homemade salad dressings, and even dips.

Rosemary-Lemon Sea Salt

Another way to use those pesky lemons? By adding them to fancy salt and fragrant rosemary. Use a food processor to finely chop rosemary and lemon zest and combine it with flaky sea salt. Put it in a jar and tell friends to save it for times they want to enhance the flavor of their favorite dish—it can literally be added to everything—though we’re fans of using it to top freshly baked cookies and baked fish dishes.

Homemade Refrigerator Pickles

Though peak-season cucumbers are few and far between these months, sour pickles are a delicious addition to holiday cheese platters and they add much-needed crunch to those hefty leftovers sandwiches. The best part is this gift is 100% customizable, so you can add cloves of garlic, chopped onion, and/or your favorite spices to make custom pickles for all of your friends and family.

What’s your favorite homemade edible gift? Let us know in the comments and we’ll give it a try!

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