Homemade Gift Jar Ideas

Homemade gift jar ideas are boundless!  You can do so much with a jar and basket.  Make each gift personal to the person you love. 

Tis the season!  I make homemade gift jars quite often at the holidays.  It is perfect for those who you just don't know what to give.  And boys.... All boys love food right?  And hot chocolate?  I have 4 sons so I speak from experience.  

Here are the gift jar recipes I'm using this year.  A couple meal in a jar mix ideas and ingredients for a mocha hot chocolate.  

Homemade gift jar ideas and supplies

You can give gift jars as is with a pretty bow and a Holiday tag, or you can add the jar to a basket with other food items.  Maybe some fancy crackers with a soup mix. 

If you want a source for freeze dried foods for the meal mixes... check out Thrive freeze dried foods.

And I got some fun jars and pretty supplies to use this year.   

I've got so many jars I usually just hop on over to my pantry and grab some empties, but this year I found some super sweet snowflake jars from Ball.  I mentioned them on Simply Canning Facebook and  Fillmore Container (a sponsor of Simply Canning ,Thank you Fillmore!) sent me some jars for my gifts this year.  AND they threw in some fun additions, decorator lids and fancy straws.

So if you love to make things pretty check out these supplies for your gift jars this year.  

Snowflake jars -   Editing to say.... they sold out!  These jars turned out to be very popular.  Here is a link to the other jars Fillmore has available.  I highly recommend the Orchard Road Jars, OR... the jars with the handles would be perfect for the Hot Chocolate mix.

Green Daisy lids

Solid Colored lids 

Paper Drinking Straws

Camo lids

Enjoy!  

And here is a printable pdf with these recipes.  

Live video about homemade gift jar ideas

Homemade gift jar ideas - recipes and gift baskets

Mocha Hot Chocolate Mix - perfect for pint size jars but if you are giving to a large family.... get out the Quart jars! 

• 2 cups non dairy creamer
• 1 1/2 cups hot chocolate mix
• 1 1/2 cups instant coffee (I use decaf) 
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Stir together and fill jars with mix.  

Add the following instructions

Mocha Chocolate Mix

Add approximately 3 tsp to a mug of hot water.  Add more to taste.  

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Beef Fajitas

Place in a quart size wide mouth jar.  

• 1/2 cup freeze dried shredded beef
• 1/4 cup freeze dried onion slices
• 1/4 cup freeze dried green peppers
• 1/4 cup freeze dried red peppers 
• (total of 1/2 cup peppers, you can use all red or green if that is what you have) 
• 1T your choice of taco seasoning or fajita mix.  To taste.  

Include these directions... 

Beef Fajita Mix

Simmer ingredients in a cup of water for 5-8 minutes or until beef is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed. Serve in a tortilla with cheese, salsa, sour cream or whatever fajita sides you like. 

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Note:  I use my homemade taco seasonings but you can use any seasoning you choose.  I'll include my recipe below.

Homemade Taco Seasoning - Mix this together and store in a dry place (of course a jar works perfectly)

• 1 cup dried minced onion
• 1/3 cup chili powder
• 4 tsp cumin (this is to taste, if you like cumin.... Add more!) 4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 T oregano
• 4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder

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Peanut Chicken Recipe

Love chicken in a peanut sauce?  This is a quick way to have it ready.  

Place in a quart sized wide mouth jar:

• 1/2 cup freeze dried chicken
• 1/4 cup freeze dried red peppers
• 1/4 cup freeze dried onion
• 1/2 cup freeze dried broccoli

Place in a ziplock bag

• 2 T peanut powder
• 1 tsp honey crystals or sugar
• 1 tsp chicken boullion
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• pinch of cayenne

From your cupboards

1 T Soy Sauce or Liquid Aminos

Include the following instruction: 

Chicken Peanut Recipe

Simmer veggies in 1 cup water for 5 minutes. 

Add in seasonings and simmer for 3-4 minutes longer or until chicken is tender. 

Add (from your cupboard) 1 T soy sauce and stir.  

Serve with rice!