DIY Food Hamper Ideas

Tips on packing the perfect foody hamper.

Chutneys, pickles and preserves

Chutneys and pickles can be enjoyed with British cheeses, cold meats and home-made pork pies. They'll also make a classic match with a spicy Indian curry and rice; or as a dip with poppadums, samosas or onion bhajis. Preserves are most often found on the breakfast table and are a great way of making use of windfall fruit. It's best to use a heavy duty preserving pan if you have one, otherwise a heavy-based saucepan will do the trick. Remember to sterilise the jam jars with boiling water before securing with waxed discs and lids. Stored this way they can be kept for up to six months.

Cakes, biscuits and other sweets

The simplest way to wrap your home-made cakes and biscuits is in clear cellophane; and if you colour-theme the ribbons and cards to match the style of your hamper, cellophane goes with any look from traditional to contemporary.

Drinks

If you're going to include a bottle or two of wine in your hamper, make sure you separately pack some mulling spices. You can buy these ready-made or make them up yourself by bundling up mixes of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, coriander and cardamom; the choice of spices is up to you. Include a hand-written recipe with the spices so the recipient knows how to use them. Recipes vary greatly around the world, but the basic idea is to steep the spices in the wine over a low heat for around 15 minutes or so (ensuring the wine never boils). You can give the wine a bit of a kick by adding some brandy; some recipes also call for orange peel or juice to be included.

Family hamper

For a hamper the whole family can enjoy, include a bottle of sparkling wine for mum and dad, and something non-alcoholic and fizzy for the kids. Pack it all up in a colourful plastic trug that can be used for toy storage.

Include things like:

Rhubarb chutney

Preserved apples and pears in syrup

Tomato ketchup

Coconut ice

Mini Christmas cakes

Spiced cranberry and orange relish

The entertainer

Place the goodies onto a large shallow bowl or into a wine cooler and wrap in cellophane. Include:

Sophie Grigson's cheese biscuits

Rachel Allen's almond brittles

Marinated mixed olives

Parmesan and rosemary wafers

Jane Asher's last minute Christmas cake

Limoncelllo

Foody treats

Great for friends who love to spend time in the kitchen. Put the goodies into a large serving bowl or place on a chopping board and wrap in a tablecloth.

Foody gifts include:

Chilli oil

James Martin's biscotti

Carrot jam

Ainsley Harriott's onion marmalade

Five spice salt

Fig jam

Travellers' treats

If your friend is planning a holiday, include a guide book or travel diary in the hamper. If you're the lucky one who's been travelling, include some foody photos for inspiration.

Preserved lemons

Latvian gingerbread cookies

Dukkha

Goong Goong's pickle

Sicilian dressed olives

Biscotti de mandorli

Chocolate panforte

Traditional British

Pack the hamper into a wicker basket for a traditional feel, or bring it up to date in a colourful enamel bread bowl.

English ale mustard

Delia Smith's orange marmalade

Picalilli

Mincemeat

Nigel Slater's Christmas pudding

Spiced quinces