It can be hard to think of something unique to give to family and friends during the holiday season. We don't have a huge budget, but there are usually at least a handful of people that I want to show appreciation to at the end of the year. Since we have spent most of the year learning to handle food allergies, this year I wanted to keep other families who may be in the same situation in mind... so we decided to make some homemade dried cranberries to gift to our friends and family!
Homemade Dried Cranberries
Supplies Needed
-Cranberries (I used a 12oz bag to start, but by the time they cooked, they didn't take up a lot of space, so I would probably do 2-3 bags per gift in the future)
-Colander
-Cooking Pot
-Spoon
-1/4 to 1/2 Cup Honey
-Parchment Paper
-Baking Sheet
1. Preheat Oven to 200 degrees.
2. Rinse cranberries in hot water.
3. Submerge in boiling water for 10 minutes. Cranberries should pop. If they don't, use your spoon to push them against the side of the pot and pop them right open.
4. Pour into colander, drain off excess water. I rolled them in a towel to get even more water off.
5. Toss with Honey. I didn't want our cranberries to be very sweet, so we went with this option. You could use a different sweetener, if preferred.
5. Bake at 200 degrees for 6-8 hours, then allow cranberries to dry for about 24 hours before sealing in an airtight container like Rubbermaid TakeAlongs.
Rubbermaid TakeAlongs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, to fit any holiday gifting needs you might have this year! They're even available in festive colors and designs - I love the red ones. I used the Rubbermaid TakeAlongs Deep Square size for this gift.
Rubbermaid TakeAlongs can be found easily at Walmart - and there is even a $1.00 off the purchase of 2 offer available from Ibotta (exclusively for Walmart shoppers) right now!
Rubbermaid TakeAlongs are dishwasher, microwave, and freezer friendly - so that makes them an ideal option for anything you need to transport while giving the gift of thanks to friends and family.
Once the cranberries were ready, we wanted to package them up and make them seem a bit more festive! The red Rubbermaid TakeAlongs were perfect - we just added ribbon and a Christmas tree top to finish it off!
1. Cut a 20" piece of ribbon or cord. Hot glue around Rubbermaid TakeAlongs container.
2. Print this Christmas Tree Gift Topper. Decorate however you want! Since it's double-sided, you could even let a different child decorate each side.
3. Cut out the tree and fold (make sure you don't snip all the way to the center at the tip of the tree so that it will fold.
4. Fold the base along the lines and tape together. Tape to box.
5. Attach decorated stars on either side of the tree with tape, kids glue, or any adhesive you want. I used hot glue because it was most easily accessible!
That's it! What neighbor or family friend wouldn't love to receive one of these from your hands this winter?
What gifts are you giving to friends and family this holiday season?
I love that this combines a homemade treat with something the kids can get in on and decorate! Thanks for the printable! #client
ReplyDeleteMy kids ALWAYS want to be involved in everything!
DeleteSounds like a fun activities. If only cranberries are not that expensive here since they are imported :D Love the printable holiday gift topper.
ReplyDeleteOh no! You could dry another fruit that is less expensive where you are, maybe!
DeleteThis is really cute and I love the dried cranberry recipe. I will have to try that.
ReplyDeleteI really like that gift topper and cranberry idea. We're having guests for the holiday and this will be something fun for me and the kids to make for them.
ReplyDeleteHave fun!
DeleteI love those TakeAlongs containers! Thanks for sharing the tutorial for making dried cranberries! And that Christmas tree topper for the container is cute!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Glad you enjoyed it. :)
DeleteI love dried fruit. This looks so easy, and it is a great snack!
ReplyDeleteMy kids love eating dried fruit as a snack! One of our go-to items, for sure.
DeleteThey look delicious! Sometimes those are the best kinds of gifts. My sister in law makes us homemade enchiladas every year and we love them! Her enchiladas are to die for and we actually request them sometimes when she asks us what we want! They are the best kinds of gifts I feel.
ReplyDeleteMmmm, homemade enchiladas! Yum!
DeleteI have never made dried fruit like this before!! These containers are my favorite this time of year great way to give out treats to family!
ReplyDeleteI'm all inspired to make lots of gifts for family after doing this project. :)
DeleteI have never hard dried cranberries before and did not even know how to make them but thanks for sharing. I am loving that airtight container, I need some for my lunch.
ReplyDeleteThey are excellent lunch containers, too.
DeleteOh how fun! I'm going to have to try this out for the first time. I love dried cranberries!
ReplyDeleteMe too! They're one of my favorites!
DeleteI love cranberries, dried or any other way. I never even thought to make them myself. This is such a cute idea.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to make dried fruit, this was a fun project.
DeleteI love Cranberries and Honey so this looks perfect, will have to give it a try!
ReplyDeleteHope you have fun trying it out!
DeleteLove dried cranberries, and making them seems so easy. Plus we have fun coloring activity for mini.
ReplyDeleteMy kids were just as excited about decorating as they were about making the cranberries.
DeleteYou make this look so easy. I can do this with the kids. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHave fun!
DeleteI want it all. I would love to try our those dried cranberries. For sure I am getting plenty of tupperware and making your lovely tree topper
ReplyDeleteThe Rubbermaid TakeAlongs are the perfect container for projects like these.
DeleteI didn'[t know it was so easy to dry your own cranberries! My daughter loves eating them, I'll have to try this!
ReplyDeleteIt took me a little trial and error, but it was fun.
DeleteWhat a cute topper! I just love it! I love buying dried cranberries, but I never thought of making them myself. This is so awesome!
ReplyDeleteThanks!!
DeleteI used to not be particularly fond of cranberries, but I've grown to love them over the years. I love this idea!
ReplyDeleteSame here!
DeleteWhat a cute, simple and fun idea!! Dried cranberries - UM yes please!
ReplyDeleteI'm all about simple when doing Christmas with little kiddos. :)
DeleteDried cranberries are my favourite holiday treat! I havent had homemade ones in ages! I am going to add this to my list of things to prepare for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI recently had to switch to low carb and dried cranberries on my salads is def one of the things that I miss the most. I also would put them in my trail mix. I will keep this recipe for when I want to treat myself or make some mix for the family.
ReplyDeleteI really love cranberries on salads, too - I hadn't thought to do that with these. Thanks!
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