Create a homegrown hamper

Get onto their Christmas ‘nice list’ with sustainable treats from your garden

For friends and family who seem to have everything, the gift of a unique homemade hamper is a sweet solution. The personal touch goes a long way; foodie gifts made with love are a sure-fire way to warm the cockles of your recipient’s heart. Treats made from fruits and veg you’ve grown in your own garden will doubly delight.

Cook up crops that are a bit different to the norm to give your hamper that extra gourmet appeal. Save up pretty jam jars and sterilise them in your oven before decanting in your chutneys and sauces, then decorate them with ribbon and evergreen sprigs from your garden to up your hamper’s eco-credentials.

Seven recipe ideas to try

Membrillo

This delectable accompaniment for cheese is a popular dish in Spain. It’s made from quince, a hard fruit that needs boiling down to make it soft, in the process filling your kitchen with a deliciously rich aroma. Then it’s mixed with the same weight in sugar, simmered into a thick gloopy paste, and then baked in a dish on a low temperature to turn it into a firm jelly. Once set, slice it into 10cm squares and wrap in baking parchment – it’ll make a rare delight for any travel-lover.

See the recipe

Apple butter

If you still have windfall apples this is a wonderful way to transform them into a versatile hamper filler. Apple butter is very popular in the USA but less common here and is a great lower-sugar alternative to jam (so needs to be kept in a fridge after opening). You can spread it on toast or over pork for roasting to give the meat a delicious fruity tang.

See the recipe

Rosemary salt

This super-easy treat will delight the nose of your recipient as they pop open the jar. Simply pack a sterile, dry glass jar with sea or rock salt crystals mixed with a handful of chopped rosemary leaves. The rich herby scent and flavour will permeate the salt, which can then be used to season roast chicken, lamb or vegetables.

Beetroot ketchup

This rosy red sauce is fabulously festive in looks and makes an intriguing alternative in which to dip your chips. Bake your beets until tender then blitz up with cooked red onions, celery, garlic and carrot, vinegar and a little sugar. If you have a few homegrown chillies, add those in too for a fiery kick.

See the recipe

Chilli oil

A simple bottle filled with golden oil and ruby red chillies looks as good as it tastes. The key to making an oil that will last for months or even years is to thoroughly dry your chillies first. Either hang them up or bake on a low heat to dehydrate them. Crush one into flakes to add into the oil – this will help the flavour permeate – and add the rest in whole.

Medlar curd

If you grow this unusual fruit, you can turn it into a delicious caramel-like curd – it’s a decadent delight for any food connoisseur. Medlars were more commonly enjoyed back in Medieval and Tudor times too – a fact may also please the history buff in your life. They need to be ‘bletted’ (frosted until very soft) before they can be used, but you can do that artificially by popping them in your freezer for a few days. Then push the softened flesh through a sieve to remove the seeds and skin before gently cooking with sugar, butter and eggs. Follow any fruit curd recipe as a guideline and swap the fruit for your medlars.

Green tomato chutney

If you still have salvaged green tomatoes languishing in the fridge, turn them into a flavoursome chutney for burgers and sandwiches.

Boil them up with onions, vinegar and sultanas then decant into jars – make this one as early as possible as it can take several weeks to mature in the jar before it tastes it’s best.

See the recipe

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