This week, we’re sharing 10 ideas for homemade gifts that you can create using the vegetables currently in season here in Central Texas. Though they do require a bit of time currency, homemade gifts can be incredibly rewarding to make, and even more rewarding to receive. Let us know if you give any of these a whirl!

1. Fermented Carrots

Here is a recipe for fermented carrots that we truly love. If you’ve never fermented carrot sticks before, you’re truly missing out. These crunchy, effervescent snacks are a wonderful way to get some probiotics on your plate and preserve the taste of freshly harvested carrots for months. If you’ve never fermented before, don’t overlook this idea before reading how easy the process is.

2. Herb Salt

This is perhaps the easiest “recipe”  of the entire list. Use any combination of herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro, chop them up, combine them with corse salt, dry, and store. Herbed salts can be used instead of plain salt when seasoning just about anything you’d add fresh herbs to. If you have woody herbs, like thyme or rosemary, growing in your garden, these would work too!

3. Sweet Potato Apple Butter

Yep, you heard us. Sweet potato butter. Sweet potatoes will only be around at JBG for another week or two, so if this sounds like a gift you’d like to give, don’t dally. Here is a recipe that Megan whipped up years ago. Checkout her cute packaging, too!

4. Salad Kit

Know someone in your life that is on the go? Perhaps a busy teacher (they deserve ALL THE PRESENTS THIS YEAR!) or other essential worker? Why not put together a beautiful salad kit. It’s salad season, after all! Sure, this gift is technically perishable and needs to be refrigerated, but everyone has a night of the week when they’re wholly underprepared for dinner. Or lunch. Scoop up a JBG head of lettuce, a watermelon radish or two, and maybe a bunch of fresh parsley to make things interesting. Pair these veggies with a jar of homemade salad dressing (here is an easy vinaigrette recipe)  and if you’re feeling extra spirited, a container of homemade croutons , roasted pecans, or a tiny tub of locally-made cheese .

5. A Bag of Organic Citrus

Need to keep things very simple this year? We get it. Why not scoop up a bag of organic oranges or grapefruit from G&S Groves? Texas citrus season is in full swing, and this year’s harvest is sweeter than ever. You can order Texas citrus through JBG’s website. We get a fresh delivery from the grove every week!

6. Cocktail Kit

Speaking of citrus, why not make a citrus-salt and pair with margarita fixins? Like the herb salt, making a citrus salt is very simple. Basically, you just need to zest the fruit, and combine with salt. For a margarita, you have the option to add other spices, or maybe even a bit of cilantro. You can pre-measure tequila and triple sec into a mason jar, or you can get the tiny bottles. Either way, this is a good gift.

7. Chimichurri

Leafy herbs like parsley and cilantro are at the peak of their season in central Texas. You can expect these leafy greens to be decorating market stands and CSA boxes for the next couple of months. Why not head to the market and buy a huge bouquet of these herbs, and make a big batch of zingy, oily, chimichurri. Like the salad kit idea, this gift needs to be refrigerated. Fresh chimichurri should be consumed within a couple of weeks, which should be no problem if you provide a list of ideas on how to use this versatile and delicious sauce to go along with your dish.

8. Carrot or Beet Hummus + Chips

The best edible gifts are the ones you can’t wait to eat. Plus, everyone loves snacks. Highlight two of the seasons favorite crops by turning them into hummus, and then gifting this delectable snack with a bag of salty, savory, pita chips. Here is a tried and true method for making carrot hummus , and here is a tried and true recipe for beet hummus.

9. Pickled Cauliflower

If you’re feeling really ambitious, why not break out the canning pot and pickle some cauliflower? Pickled cauliflower goes good on just about anything: sandwiches, salads, pasta, as a soup garnish, or just straight out of the jar. Personally, we like a recipe like this one that includes a bit of heat.

10. Take and Bake Lasagna

This is perhaps the most involved idea of the list, but it’s one that will undoubtedly communicate your devotion. Why not assemble delicious, veggie-centric lasagna pans, and give those as gifts? A delicious homemade lasagna, stowed away in the freezer, is truly a gift that someone will use and enjoy. You will be a hero when the lasagna is pulled out and baked, on a night when no one felt like cooking. To make this work, set aside some serious time. We suggest freezing the lasagna before baking it, and letting the gift recipient bake it themselves. Include instructions for reheating, and make sure to wrap it well to prevent freezer burn. Here is a great recipe for a winter-greens heavy lasagna , and here is a great article with some freezing tips .