We all know the feeling. The countdown is on for St. Nick’s worldwide tour, and we’re still looking for ways to share a little holiday cheer with a neighbor, a friend or perhaps a child’s teacher. Something with a personal touch is always appreciated, and something tasty usually doubly so. While many of us are spending a little (or a lot) more time at home, consider putting together “happies” of hearty, satisfying “soups in a jar.” Measure out the dry ingredients, layer them in a mason jar and attach a recipe. It has the thoughtful homemade touch and, as a bonus, it’s an affordable route to take in a season when budgets are often strained.
Form an assembly line of jars and fill them with the fixings for a favorite soup or chili recipe. (It works for most cookie ingredients, too, of course.) You can put together enough for everyone on your list in fairly short order. The layers make a pretty present and the end result will warm up a chilly night. Finish off the jars with festive ribbon; perhaps tie a wooden spoon or holiday pot holder on, too. There are plenty of ways to make them special.
More DIY from the kitchen
Food and nutrition specialist Julie Garden-Robinson and Extension Educator Alice Henneman, for North Dakota State University, posted additional ideas found at food.unl.extension.
Below are some recipes suited to soup in a jar gifts, from food.unl.extension — a soup, a chili and a cornbread to complement them. These include what to put in the jar, and also the rest of the recipe your gift recipient will need to make the finished product.
Enjoy the tastes of the season.
FRIENDSHIP SOUP MIX
To put in jar:
1/2 cup dry split peas
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
1/4 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup dry lentils
1/4 cup dry, minced onions
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 cup rice
1/2 cup macaroni noodles
To make the soup:
1 container Friendship Soup mix
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
3 quarts water
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Note: To avoid overcooked pasta in leftovers, add the appropriate amount of macaroni to the portion being served.
COUNTRY CHILI MIX
To put in jar:
1 pound kidney beans
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dehydrated onions
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
(To reduce sodium, substitute garlic powder for some of the garlic salt.)
To make the chili:
1 container Country Chili Mix
10 cups water (for soaking beans)
1 (8-ounce) can reduced-sodium tomato sauce
1 (24-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound ground beef or turkey
6 cups water (for cooking beans)
HOMEMADE CORNBREAD MIX
To put in jar:
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornmeal
To make the cornbread:
1 container Homemade Cornbread Mix
1 egg
1 cup water
2 tablespoon oil
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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