10 Holiday Gift Ideas for People Who Love Food (All Under $30)
Food people are easy to love and hard to shop for. They already own the good knife. They have opinions about salt. A candle will not impress them, and a gift card says you ran out of time.
A jar of something good to eat gets past all of that. We pack olives, pickles and spreads on our family farm in Orland, California, and every year we watch a couple of jars turn into a gift that gets a real reaction. Here are ten we would give ourselves. Each one is under $30, and most are a pair of jars that belong together.
1. For the cheese board person: Tapenade and Muffaletta Spread
These two do the work of a whole appetizer. Our Tapenade is made from black Mission olives, capers, anchovies and garlic. Our Muffaletta Spread is olives, capers, carrots, cauliflower and celery in olive oil and red wine vinegar. Put either on a cracker and you are done. $8.90 each, $17.80 for the pair.
2. For the martini drinker: Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives and Cocktail Onions
One jar for the classic, one for the Gibson. Our Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives are hand-stuffed with California blue cheese. The Cocktail Onions are crisp and sit well in a martini or on a board. $10.90 and $8.90, $19.80 together.
3. For the person who puts garlic on everything: two kinds of pickled garlic
Our Pickled Garlic is made from California-grown cloves. Pair it with the Mesquite Smoked Pickled Garlic and they can taste the difference side by side. Good in salads, pasta sauces, on a board, or straight from the jar. $9.90 each, $19.80 for both.
4. For the sweet-and-spicy fan: Chuck Wagon Candy and Sweet Hots
Chuck Wagon Candy is jalapeños in a sweet brine, great on nachos and sandwiches. Sweet Hots are sliced cucumbers and jalapeños in a spiced sweet brine. Put them on a burger and you will not go back. $9.90 each, $19.80 for the pair.
5. For the home bartender: Dirty Martini Mix and Vodkatini Olives
Our Dirty Martini Mix is olive brine aged with our olives and triple-filtered, so it pours clear. The Vodkatini Olives are Spanish pimento stuffed olives infused with a vodka flavor in the brine. Together they cover the whole drink. The mix starts at $6.90 and the olives are $9.90, so a pair starts at $16.80.
6. For the person who pickles everything: Pickled Asparagus and Italian Spiced Pickled Mushrooms
Vegetable pickles are the gift people do not expect. The Pickled Asparagus is good alone or next to a drink. The Italian Spiced Pickled Mushrooms are good on an antipasto plate. $10.90 each, $21.80 for the pair.
7. For the cook: Garlic Chili Oil and Roasted Garlic Paste
The Garlic Chili Oil has crisp garlic and chili flakes and goes on noodles, dumplings, eggs and pizza. The Roasted Garlic Paste is minced garlic slow-roasted in oil, ready to stir into sauces and marinades. Both are useful on a Tuesday night. $8.90 each, $17.80 for the pair.
8. For the one who has everything: Aged Balsamic and Kalamata Olives
Our 12-Year Aged Balsamic Vinegar is smooth, a little sweet, and made for drizzling over cheese, roasted vegetables or even dessert. Add a jar of Kalamata Whole Olives and you have a small gift that looks like you tried. $15.00 and $9.25, $24.25 together.
9. For the person who cooks from scratch: Preserved Meyer Lemons and Lemon Citrus Olives
Preserved lemons show up in tagines, salads, sauces and roast chicken, and they are hard to find in a regular store. Our Preserved Whole Meyers Lemons pair well with Lemon Citrus Pitted Olives. $8.90 and $9.25, $18.15 together.
10. For the one who likes heat: Spicy Green Beans and Atomic Mushrooms
Spicy Green Beans are crunchy, tangy and hot. Atomic Mushrooms are fermented mushrooms with jalapeños, garlic and carrots. They are not shy. $9.90 and $11.90, $21.80 for the pair.
How to make a pair look like a gift
A jar is easy to wrap. Tie them together with ribbon or twine, tuck them in a small box with tissue paper, or set them in a wooden crate if you have one. Add a box of crackers or a wedge of cheese from the store and you have a gift basket for about the cost of a bottle of wine.
Free shipping starts at $90, so if you are buying for several people, put everything in one order. If you would rather make one decision and be finished, our Christmas Holiday Party Box is 12 hand-packed jars with 10% off already applied.
See the Christmas Holiday Party Box
Quick answers
Are these full-size jars?
Our olive and pickle jars are 16 oz. Our spreads come in smaller jars, about 6 to 9 oz.
Do I need to refrigerate them?
Refrigerate after opening and keep the olives under the brine. Check the label on your jar for details.
What if the person has a food allergy?
Check the label before you buy. The cheese stuffed olives contain dairy, and our tapenade contains anchovies.
How much should I spend on a food gift?
For a neighbor, coworker or host, two jars at around $20 is a good place to start. For family, step up to a box of 12.
