Blueberry Gifts to Make and Give This Holiday Season

The season of giving is the perfect time to bless your friends and loved ones with blueberry gifts that you made yourself. Blueberries are delicious and nutritious, so you can’t go wrong with homemade gifts from the heart using blueberries. Try one or all of the three blueberry gifts we’ve rounded up, below.

Blueberry Gifts

Homemade gifts show your love and appreciation because of the time and effort it took to make them! Show someone you care this holiday season with blueberries!

Blueberry Gin

Have that someone on your gift list who is hard to buy for? Try alcoholic blueberry gifts for an impressive gift. This blueberry gin from Sharky Oven Gloves turns a lovely shade of pink to let you know it’s done, which takes two weeks.

Ingredients

·         6 ounces blueberries

·         ¼ cup sugar

·         2 cups gin

Directions

1.  Mix the blueberries, sugar and gin in a glass preserving jar or similar container, seal and shake well.

2.  Store in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks and up to two months, making sure to shake every few days.

3.  Once the gin has turned a lovely dark pink color, strain it through cheesecloth (or kitchen roll) into clean glass bottles.  Serve cold over ice with tonic for G&Ts with a difference!

Photo and recipe courtesy of Sharky Oven Gloves

Holiday Berry Jam

Looking for blueberry gifts for the teetotaler? Blueberry jam is a sure hit for everyone on your list, and it’s super easy because it uses frozen berries and fresh cranberries. Whip up this Holiday Berry Jam from Food in Jars and attach a fetching label for a special homemade gift.

Ingredients

  • 12 oz Blueberries, frozen
  • 8 oz Cranberries, fresh
  • 24 oz Raspberries, frozen
  • 12 oz Strawberries, frozen
  • 3 cups Sugar

Directions

  1. Prepare a boiling water bath canner and enough jars to hold six half pints of product.
  2. Combine the berries and sugar in a large, non-reactive pot. Stir to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes or so, until the berries are mostly defrosted.
  3. Place the pot on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring regularly, until the jam thickens. This should take between 20 and 25 minutes. Because of the presence of the cranberries, this jam will pass the sheet test on a spatula.
  4. When the jam is finished, remove the pot from the heat.
  5. Funnel the jam into the prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
  6. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.
  7. When the time is up, remove the jars and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When the jars have cooled enough that you can comfortable handle them, check the seals. Sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for up to a year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Food In Jars.

Blueberry Fudge Pie

You can’t go wrong with candy, and this homemade blueberry fudge from Baker by Nature tastes as delicious as it looks.

Ingredients

For the Blueberry Filling:

  • 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen, if using frozen don’t thaw first
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the White Chocolate Fudge:

  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 20 ounces high-quality white chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

For the Blueberry Pie Filling:

  1. In a small saucepan combine the blueberries, lemon juice, and cornstarch; bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly and gently smashing the blueberries smooth, until thickened into a deep, dark blueberry reduction, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
  2. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl and push the puree though, leaving any skin/large chunks behind. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the strainer, which catches a lot of the puree! Set aside until needed.

For the White Chocolate Fudge:

  1. Lightly grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, allowing the excess paper to hang over the sides; set aside.
  2. In a large, heatproof bowl combine the sweetened condensed milk, white chocolate, butter, and salt; set aside.
  3. Fill a saucepan with a little water (you want it about 1/4 full) and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to barely a simmer.
  4. Place your heatproof glass bowl holding your ingredients on top of the pot. Stir frequently, until the white chocolate has melted and the mixture is completely smooth, about 10 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and fold in 3/4 of the blueberry pie filling, setting aside about 2 tablespoons for later use. Fold the blueberry pie filling in about 3 or 4 times, but be sure not to over-mix. The mixture will be very thick.
  6. Using a sturdy spatula, scrape the fudge into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Dot the remaining blueberry pie filling on top of the fudge and use a toothpick to marble it into the top of the fudge. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing.

To cut:

  1. Gently run a butter knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the fudge. Remove the fudge and transfer it to a cutting board.
  2. Peel off parchment paper, then slice the fudge into small pieces.
  3. Serve at once or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You may also freeze the fudge, in an airtight freezer safe container for up to two months.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Baker by Nature.

Find more great recipes to make and share this holiday season on the BlueberriesFromFlorida.com recipes pages or the Blueberries from Florida Pinterest recipe boards. Share your blueberry gifts with us on our Facebook page!

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