It’s harvest season, and that means it’s also harvest basket season. (aka our favorite time of year!) So we consulted SJ Mag Media resident gardener Toni Farmer for tips to make our baskets extra special.
It’s all about personalization
This may come as a surprise, but not everyone likes the same foods as you. And while we’ve never met someone who doesn’t like a Jersey Fresh tomato, it’s still important to personalize your basket for the recipient.
“If you care about the people around you and you’re giving them a gift, you should be aware of their preferences,” Farmer says. “There are enough options out there to be able to work around someone’s preferences.”
CAN you say delicious?
Harvesting season = harvest basket season = canning season. While you’re preparing those extra fruits and veggies to be pickled, added into sauces and transformed to jams, make a few extra jars to add to your baskets. “It’s so fun to pull a mason jar out of a gift basket,” says Farmer. “And sometimes I include a link to where I got the recipe from and the ingredients to make it. Salsa is a big one, and I made three kinds this year: salsa verde, regular salsa and peach salsa.”
When she does include jars, though, Farmer is sure to dress them up a bit. “In each jar, I’ll put extra ingredients at the top,” she says. “For pesto, there’s olive oil, chunks of parmesan and whole pine nuts – so when you open it up, each of the ingredients are on top, and people will think ‘oh, someone who knew what they were doing put this together.’”
It doesn’t have to be just food
Yes, we love to eat too. But sometimes you don’t have enough growing in your garden to fill up a harvest basket. And that’s totally fine. Don’t be afraid to add things like flowers grown in the garden or gifts from local makers. (We’re big fans of candles!)
“I do add candles sometimes,” Farmer says. “I order specialty match books – you can draw on them, make them pretty and buy a candle to include. You can also make your own tea – and you can write a personal message on the label. So then every time they make tea, they have a special note. It goes a long way.”
Use what you have
You’d probably be surprised by all that you have laying around the house – and this is the perfect opportunity to give those items a new use. Farmer always saves any packing materials she gets as well as jars of different sizes. Plus, she shreds old paper bags to use in her boxes.
“I love to use paper crumpled up when I want to have a showcase piece,” she says. “I’ll put that item on top of the paper and it adds some height and makes it stand out. Plus, it helps to make it feel like the box is overflowing with things.”
