Thinking ahead, or trying to.

[copkid]

I know it's early, but Christmas and the holiday season is quickly approaching! Allie's earlier thread about putting together a gift basket just got me thinking about a more economical approach to gifts. What are some of your favorite things to give as gifts? I know several of you bottle your own sauces, rubs, etc commercially, but what is the best way to do it if you would like to give out some of your favorites sauces, etc.? Meaning, I want to stay safe and not make anyone sick, but don't know much about canning, etc. I guess I may need to learn!
I would just like us all to start some dialog and suggestions for an approach to a more economical holiday season!

[Gator]

Rubs = no problem, what type of sauces would you make Laura?

[copkid]

Well, for example; I love the recipe for Roxy's SC mustard sauce on this forum, and I add a few things to make it my own, and people are so shocked when I serve it with smoked meat, etc. to know that there are good sauces besides your typical tomato based BBQ sauce. Just broadening peoples horizons, ya know?
Not interested in doing anything commercial, just some nice homemade gifts. Maybe hand them out along with some simple recipes that I can convert to doing in the kitchen stove, because let's face it; most people don't have the patience for outdoor low and slow!

[OSD]

For canning, these are a couple great reference sites that explain about the different types of canning and how to do it.. I use these quite a bit when in doubt and not sure of how to do something.

http://missvickie.com/canning/canning-frame.html

http://www.freshpreserving.com/

[Gator]

I looked at the Roxys sauce recipe; I would suggest changing the fresh onion and garlic to powders and the recipe looks like it would be fine unrefrigerated and without any extra preservatives (to me). The vinegar is going to give you a low PH, which naturally preserves it.

I would bet even with the onion and garlic in there you could keep it in the fridge for quite a while and it would be ok.

[copkid]

Thanks for the link, Jim! I bookmarked them.
So Gator, you think I wouldn't need to can this recipe? I would probably try to make a few batches at a time over the next 8 weeks so I'm not rushing around trying to do it the week before Christmas.

[Gator]

Thanks for the link, Jim! I bookmarked them.
So Gator, you think I wouldn't need to can this recipe? I would probably try to make a few batches at a time over the next 8 weeks so I'm not rushing around trying to do it the week before Christmas.

I don’t think so - if you look at the ingredients, none require refrigeration. The vinegar and mustard are very acidic and act as a preservative.

[Allie]

I canned some of my sauce which is tomato based using my pressure cooker and doing it as for tomatoes. That worked out great. I love Miss Vickie's site! Last year was my first ever time canning on my own and that site is where I learned to do it. I'm still using tomatoes that were canned last September with no ill effects!


Last year, we made a gift basket for the same couple. They love Starbucks so we bought a pound of coffee, 2 nice coffee mugs, and a coffee grinder. We spent less on them together than we would have seperately. Not to mention, they're the type people who will say they want/need something and then run right out and buy it. Most of the things they wouldn't go out and buy are just too expensive for us to consider as a gift.

Baskets are easy because you can pick them up at the Dollar Tree, put one nicer item in and surround it with less expensive items in a theme. Dollar Tree even has the large plastic bags and colored shreds for making gift baskets. The coffee basket was a deep red color, as were the mugs so I used white shreds and a red plastic bag and a metallic silver bow.

[OSD]

I went over to the forum where Roxy posts and looked through his posts about his sauce and he suggests that it will keep in the frig for 3-4 weeks easily. And to use onion powder and garlic powder rather than fresh if it is to be kept longer than 2 weeks. Also he said it will keep 6-8 weeks ( maybe longer without canning ) but he said water bath canning is best if it is to be kept longer than 6-8 weeks.
I really don't know because when I've made it, I've never had any leftover to to see how long it would last.

[Papa Tom]

I like the idea of homemade Christmas presents. Christmas is a religious holiday that has gone wildly commercial. Many years ago I declared a homemade/handmade only family Christmas. I still treasure the gifts I got and I don't remember what I made and gave but I'll bet they are still in use.
I still get salsa from my son but not the recipe and it is really, really good stuff all ingredients come out of his garden.

[bigwheel]

I made up some ho made chow chow last year...and jars or pickled sausage the year before. The chow chow was purty easy..bought most of the ingredients at the .99 cent ony store. They got 4 bell peppas for .99 and such things. So it was fairly cheap to make. Involves a little labor but hard to mess it up. Takes a simple 10 min hot water bath canning procedure. Here is the recipe I used but tweaked it up a bit with some added cayenne and fresh japs. Came out mighty tasty in my view. If fact wished I still had some.

http://www.mtnlaurel.com/Recipes/chowchow.htm

bigwheel

[Junk Yard Dog]

The Texans will be familiar with this, but I made Texas Trash for presents last year. It's a spicy snack. Recipe follows.
----------------------------------
1 C Mixed nuts
1 C Stick pretzels
2 C Corn checks
2 C Rice checks
2 C Cheerios
1+C Wheat Checks
1 Stick Parkay Margarine
6 T Worchestershire Sauce
1/2 T Lawry Season Salt
1/4 t Cayenne pepper
1 t Chili Powder
1/2 t Garlic salt

In a roasting pan, melt stick of margarine. Add worchestershire sauce, Lawry's salt, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and garlic salt. Mix.

Add remainder ingredients and mix well.

Bake in 275 º oven for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
--------------------------------
I put it in cans bought at Hobby Lobby. Then, to personalize it a bit, I put a photograph on the can with my picture on it.

[copkid]

The Texans will be familiar with this, but I made Texas Trash for presents last year. It's a spicy snack. Recipe follows.
----------------------------------
1 C Mixed nuts
1 C Stick pretzels
2 C Corn checks
2 C Rice checks
2 C Cheerios
1+C Wheat Checks
1 Stick Parkay Margarine
6 T Worchestershire Sauce
1/2 T Lawry Season Salt
1/4 t Cayenne pepper
1 t Chili Powder
1/2 t Garlic salt

In a roasting pan, melt stick of margarine. Add worchestershire sauce, Lawry's salt, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and garlic salt. Mix.

Add remainder ingredients and mix well.

Bake in 275 º oven for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
--------------------------------
I put it in cans bought at Hobby Lobby. Then, to personalize it a bit, I put a photograph on the can with my picture on it.

I love that pic! Too funny!! What a great label idea!

[bigwheel]

Looks sorta like cousin Sling Blade:)

bigwheel

[nascarchuck]

Im sorry JYD, but that pic is just a little too realistic. You sure that's not just a candid shot of you???