Cathy Grant
special record
Now is the season for gifts. For those who have everything, there is no better gift than something handmade from the garden. A recent workshop exclusively for Master Gardeners hosted by UC Master Gardeners was a fun foray into gifts made with herbs and more. To whet your appetite and inspire some gifts made from your garden, consider the following ideas gathered from our herbal research team.
- Bay Laurel Wreath or Swag: Considered one of the oldest cultivated trees, Laurus nobilis, or bay laurel, is a flowering, aromatic evergreen in the Lauraceae family. A frame makes it easy to wire the short branch trimmings into a wreath shape. Laurel can also be added to a collection of evergreen branches and hung as a swag on your front door. A gift that keeps on giving.
- Orange Pomander Balls: Lots of citrus fruit, especially this December. Nothing is easier to make with kids than whole cloves, oranges, or other citrus fruits, toothpicks and paper towels. Simply punch the fruit with a toothpick to make a design and drill the cloves into the holes. They make lovely hostess gifts and will eventually dry in 4-6 weeks.
- Homemade Vanilla Extract: Another easy gift is a homemade vanilla extract made with vodka or alcohol of your choice. “Vodka is most commonly used to make vanilla extract because it doesn’t add any additional flavor, but any liqueur with at least 35% ABV and at least 70 ABV will work (experiment and see what you like. You can find one – popular alternatives are bourbon or rum).”, according to Beanilla.com (https://www.beanilla.com/blog/homemade-vanilla-extract#recipe). The ratio is 1 ounce of alcohol by volume to 1 ounce of vanilla bean by weight Put it in a nice bottle and wait a few weeks before he shakes it once or twice a week before enjoying and Give it to a friend who is cooking.
- Dried Fruits: Sliced and dried fruits that are in season, everyone will love it. I just bought a food dryer at a real estate sale and want to dry my persimmons in time for a friend’s Christmas gift. Look no further. Also, if you’re lucky, you’ll find a tree with plenty of fruit that you can gift right away.
- Herb Butter: How about a delicious homemade bread and herb butter as a delicious gift? Dried basil, thyme, tarragon, Italian parsley, crushed pepper, or rosemary all make good herb butters. Just soften the butter to room temperature and add your favorite herbs. Return to butter wrapper or small plate and refrigerate. There are many recipes available online to inspire you. There are also many butter molds available online that you can add to your gift basket or make your own and plate as a gift.
- Baked Goods, Pickles, and Jams: The UC Master Preserver Program website is chock full of ideas for making gifts from the fruits, vegetables, and herbs in your garden. Visit https://mfp.ucanr.edu/Resources_/Recipes_and_Information/Recipe_Card_Library/.
- Dried Flower Arrangements: Wreaths, wall art, and baskets can be arranged with store-bought or home-dried dried flowers. Pressed flowers can be used for bookmarks, candles, and even jewelry. A quick look online can drop you down the rabbit hole to explore and get more ideas.
- For birds: homemade sweatshirts, another fun idea you can do with your kids. A simple recipe is 1 cup shortening (such as Crisco), 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, 2 cups oatmeal, 1 cup cornmeal, and 2 cups birdseeds. . Do not bring to a boil. Removed from heat. Stir in oatmeal. Mix in the bird nuts and cornmeal. Pack tightly into containers to form “bricks” of suet. Wrap in aluminum foil. Place the container in the freezer overnight. Carefully remove the solid suet from the container and feed the bird. For bird lovers, consider the bird count in your backyard in February. Visit https://www.birdcount.org/.
A happy gift from your garden!
Have a gardening related question? Contact San Joaquin UC Master Gardeners at 209-953-6112. For more information, please visit the website ucanr.edu/sjmg.