Why do people only put food "mixes" (e.g., cookie mix, cake mix) in jars as gifts? Why not just make the finished food item and seal the jar properly, as is done in canning? Is there some kind of food safety issue I'm not understanding here? Thanks.
I made these last year for the single older ladies in our church as Christmas gifts - they loved them!
PUMPKIN BREAD-IN-A-JAR 2-2/3 c sugar 3-1/2 c flour 2/3 c shortening 4 eggs 2/3 c buttermilk 1 can pumpkin 1 t baking powder 2 t soda 1 t salt 1-1/2 t pumpkin-pie spice 2/3 c chopped nuts
Cream sugar, shortening, then add eggs, mix. Add buttermilk, mix. Add pumpkin, mix. Add dry ingredients, stir in nuts. Place 1 c batter in 7 well-greased 1 pint wide-mouth jars. Wipe batter from rim. Put jars on baking sheet and bake 2 325 for 55 min, till toothpix comes out clean. Wipe rims, put hot seals & rings on hot jars. Will last several months without refrigeration.
I think the design of the mix in a jar is so pretty. From soup mixes to cookies or brownies the layering effect is eye-catching and artistic. Personally, I love receiving this type of gift.
I cannot imagine a muffin, cookie or hot chocolate 'canned' in a jar. (?) How would you get it out!:-) I think it's a very caring way of saying, here are the ingredients, have fun! I was a graphic designer working in a cubicle each day and a co-worker gave us a hot chocolate mix one year. I'd never let myself indulge in hot chocolate,(diet you know!) but on 'those days' what a treat! Great gift.
You can bake cakes and dessert breads in canning jars without any canning equipment except the jars and lids. There are plenty of recipes on the internet for them. I had made them quite a few years ago from a recipe in a co-op magazine. You can dress up the jar with a ribbon and put it in a gift basket.
Most people in this day and time do not have canning equipment to properly seal a jar; yet they want to give something "homemade" for a special occasion. Since so many people work outside the home, they don't get a chance to put things together from scratch. The person giving the gift, assembles all the ingredients so that the recipient can have the least amount of preparation to get the "whatever" made and on the table. It is done with non-perishable food items so that the ingredients won't go bad before the person can make the dish. To me, it's a gift of love, giving the best, (home-cooked "whatever"), with the least amount of fuss for the recipient.
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