While October is famed as pumpkin season, most people will only recognise this fleshy squash as a Jacko’ lantern, carved in spooky designs, displayed for Halloween and then discarded. But there are plenty of more tasty ways to use a pumpkin, whether you’ve got one leftover from Halloween or have cultivated one on the allotment. Why not try our spiced pumpkin jam recipe!
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Pumpkin and Ginger Jam Recipe
While jam is usually associated with summertime berries that are tangy yet sweet, pumpkins differ in size and colour, but they are actually relatively sweet, making them the perfect flavour base for a smooth and silky jam. With pumpkin spice all the rage you can be bang on trend with our pumpkin and ginger jam recipe which makes three 500g jars with just a single pumpkin!
Ingredients

• 1 pumpkin (1kg approx.)
• 1kg granulated sugar
• 1 lemon
• 5 – 7cm piece of ginger

Method

1. Peel your pumpkin and remove the seeds. You can either place these in the compost heap, garden waste bin or you can clean the seeds and plant them for next year’s harvest.
2. Weigh out a kilo of pumpkin flesh and then chop up into 1-2cm cubes using a sharp knife.
3. Next, cut the lemon into segments and remove the seeds.
4. Place the lemon, pith and skin included into a food processor and blitz into a puree. The lemon adds pectin to the jam which helps it to set, but if you prefer you can omit the lemon and use pectin or jam sugar instead.
5. Peel your ginger and chop small. If you want a smooth jam, grate your ginger or if you prefer chunky, chop roughly into small pieces.
6. Place the pumpkin and into a pan with the sugar and heat over high heat.
7. Stir in the lemon, ginger and bring to a rolling boil.
8. Simmer for 30 minutes, making sure to stir frequently, until the mix is set. The pumpkin should become translucent but still hold its shape.
9. Ladle your hot jam into sterilised jam jars and seal!

September is a chaotic time for the home-growers, jam makers and pickling people, with many of the most popular fruits and veggies coming into season & leftover produce from the summer harvest to attend to. It’s easy to end up with an abundance of seasonal fruits including apples, tomatoes, artichokes, cucumbers, summer berries and celeriac to names but a few! But don’t get bogged down about eating them all, we’ve got some delicious ways to extend the life of your goodies.

Change up Your Chutney!
During the tail end of tomato season and with apples ready to harvest, September is the prime time to create these much-loved chutneys. But while these 2 variations are delicious and timeless, there are other fruits you can use to craft a truly creative chutney! Use autumnal stocks of pear, rhubarb or grape for a sweet twist on a classic. If you’re planning on storing the chutney or gifting it at Christmas make sure you use sir tight chutney jars to prevent tainting and keep your goods at their best!

Perfect Your Pickle
With cucumbers ready and waiting to be plucked from their plants, it’s an ideal time to perfect your pickles. Using a simple preserving recipe of vinegar, salt and sugar simply slice up your cucumber into batons and place it in the solution and after 24 hours you’ll have tangy, crunchy pickles ready to toss in a salad or just eat straight out of the jar. For easy access and fridge storage, a clip top jar is recommended and will prevent other aromas from the fridge from interfering with the taste.
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Bring on the Booze
As the end of the summer berry season, you may have some less than perfect fruits laying around that you need to use up. Pop them into a bottle with your favourite spirit and a bit of sugar for a fruity drink that will have you feeling like it is summer all over again! 

Summer is a busy time in the wedding calendar and with hot weather, beautiful blue skies and flowers in full bloom it’s easy to see why this season is popular with those getting hitched. With such a lovely backdrop to your big day, it’s important that everything ties in with the summer theme, including your wedding favours. So how can you make sunshine inspired wedding favours?
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Refreshing Welcome Drinks
With the sun (hopefully) beating down on your big day, it’s vital that your welcome drink option at your reception is refreshing, particularly if you’re hosting some of part of the day outside. There’s nothing more refreshing and thirst quenching on a hot summer’s day than a good old-fashioned gin and tonic, and with gin top of the trends, it’s a sure-fire crowd pleaser. A G&T station is a good way to go, simply store your gin in single serving size mini bottles, place on a table beside a selection of tonics and high ball glasses and decorate sparingly with fruity and floral garnishes!

Sweet Station
Sweets are a popular favour at weddings at anytime of year and they’re a hit with adult and children alike. Using a large clip top storage jar to store a selection of colourful sweets will not only be delicious but will double as an attractive decoration at your chosen venue. Alternatively, you can create a jar per table for a quirky centre piece that leaves a good taste in the mouths of the guests!

Practical Partyware
While many choose to host their receptions in a marquee or at least partially outside in the summer months, doing so can create certain impracticalities on the day. For one, glassware is much more likely to be broken if it should fall to the ground, and the clear up of such an incident can be tasking, leaving dancers and children at risk of an injury. Instead, opting for plastic partyware can alleviate this problem and when coupled with a colourful paper straw, creates the perfect summer aesthetic.

Easter is all about celebrating rebirth with the traditional gift of an egg is symbolising this, while we are all too familiar with the chocolate egg, before the rise of commercialism, it was a standard hens’ eggs that Easter revellers could look forward too. But this doesn’t mean you have to stick to tradition, if you’re looking to give a gift with a little more imagination this Easter, we’ve got some goodies that will knock the Easter bunny off his perch!

Sweet Treats
If you want to stick with a sweet treat as your gift of choice, a jar of sweets is perfect for those who aren’t chocolate fans (there are some) or have a diary intolerance. Fill up one of our mini jam jars with the individual’s favourite sweets, or even make your own for a colourful injection of sugar that’s a bit more personable! At a size of 65ml, these jars are perfect for parents looking to ration a child’s sugar intake and can protect what’s inside for up to 6 months, for those who have a little more willpower!

Something for The Adults
Purchasing Easter gifts for the adults in your life can always be tricky, particularly if you’re one that likes to stick with tradition. If you’re looking for something that celebrates spring time and rebirth, infusing spirit with some spring time flavours is sure to be a hit. Why not pick some rhubarb, or purchase some berries and pop them in a swing top bottle for a sophisticated and flavourful gift for the more mature!
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Out of The Box
For someone who doesn’t stick to the beaten path and looks for a bit more extravagance in their gifts, our range of cosmetic containers can help form a quirky offering. Use a bottle to house a personalised essential oil, a jar to home a scented candle for bath time, or even just paint and decorate a powder jar for ornamental purposes. Whatever you decide to do, there are all manner of out of the box ideas that can be crafted with the help of our extensive online shop!

If those wedding bells are chiming, then you know all too well that the time is coming to get our wedding favour ready for the most important day of your life. Often left until the last minute in planning, many of these small details can actually be prepared well in advance leaving you to get on with planning the seating arrangements and getting to the church on time!

Toasting the Hosts
No wedding would be complete without a toast to the newlyweds and many wedding planners opt to slip in a favour at this very moment to get the reception off to a flying start. Laying each table with a tipple especially for the occasion is traditional but what you choose is up to you! A homemade liqueur or infused gin is very in fashion at the moment and when stored in a Mini Spirit Bottle with a label, they can even double as place settings.

Keep Things Fresh
Whether you’re keeping with tradition and having a sit-down meal or waving your hot food in favour of a food truck or a buffet, one thing is certain; everyone will need to clean up afterwards. Popping a few containers of table mints on every table is a small but generous detail and when displayed in an attractive pot such as our Round Wedding Favour Jars complete with ‘love bird’ label, they look the part as well.

Sweet Goodbyes
If you want your guests to remember your wedding (most will anyway) then sending them off with a souvenir can serve as a constant reminder of the fun they had! Whether you choose a jar of sweets encased with the order of ceremony or a small tipple, packaging them attractively is bound to leave a lasting impression. Our clear fronted gift bags with tag and ribbon give a window into the gift and are stylish and sophisticated.

Valentine’s Day is all about showing that special someone how much you care for them and for many offers the chance to get a little bit romantic. Whether it’s a heartfelt gift or a cosy night in, we’re of the impression that homemade gifts are the most well received. If you’re looking for something thoughtful to give to your beau or to spice up your Valentine’s Day, then we’ve got a few cherubs to share!

Sweets for my Sweet!
The most appreciated gifts are not those that come with a huge price tag, but rather those that invoke feelings of nostalgia or romance. Surprising your love with a tumbler of their favourite sweets shows that you know them well and that you’re observant to the things they like, which Is bound to make them swoon. Why not fill a Luminarc Pot Club Sweet Jar with a selection of their favourite treats for an attractive and sweet gift.

Relax and Romance
If you’re planning a cosy night in this Valentine’s Day, then why not set the scene for romance with a gift of relaxation. Aromatherapy is a great way to unwind and gifting your beau with some essential oils to pour in a hot bath or burn in an incense burner is a delight for all the sense. If you’re feeling ambitious you could even mix a few of their favourite scents together to form a unique oil that you could even name after them. Just purchase the best and mix equal parts in one of our Aromatherapy Jars and design a personalised label.
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Toast Together
If you’re cooking up a storm and looking for something to toast your love with, why not concoct a special and personalised drink? Whether its an infusion of gin, a home brew wine or something you drank on your first date, decanting into a home brew bottle gives it a rustic and personalised edge that’s not going to go unnoticed.  
Set the scene for romance and order your supplies today!

Made famous by Paddington Bear, Marmalade is a quintessentially British treat and best enjoyed spread thickly across some crunchy toast. That being said, there are infinite uses for marmalade from desserts to cocktails and if you’ve got a hunk of festive oranges left over from the festive season, now is the perfect time to whip them into a zesty and Moorish spread.

 The Classic
Marmalade comprises of three ingredients; oranges, lemon juice and sugar! Simply boil your fruit for a couple of hours, warm your sugar in a low oven, slowly reduce the cooking water and sugar together before adding your segments of orange zest. Whether you opt for thick cut, grated or sliced citrus pieces, marmalade has more a visual appeal when jarred than other preserves. Store yours in an airtight Orcia Jars for a look that is as quirky and distinct as the spread itself!

With a Twist
Despite being a succulently sweet spread, marmalade has a number of uses in savoury cooking thanks to it’s bitter and acidic aftertaste. Cutting through many strong flavours with ease, marmalade is the ideal accompaniment for cooking a joint of ham in. A firm festive favourite, if you’re left with a hock, why not turn it into an orange and pork terrine? Ideal for a fancy starter, late night snack or even as a gift, they look the part in a variety of Verrine Jars.

Mixing It Up
Now we’ve covered the sweet and savoury uses its time to cover the piece de resistance! Everybody loves a cocktail from time to time and marmalade can be a cheap and quick way to fix yourself a stiff one. What’s more, if you’re hosting a party and want to treat guests to a welcome drink, a marmalade cocktail can be pre-prepared and served up in a fancy Mini Milk Bottle for that real wow factor. Simply mix together a teaspoon of marmalade, 50ml of gin, 5ml of Campari, 15ml of lemon just and a dash of orange bitters, decant and enjoy!

If you’re in need of any glass jars or bottles for marmalade or otherwise, visit our online store today.

The festive season in another month closer and many retailers and Christmas enthusiasts are well underway with their preparations for this year’s winter holiday. One of our favourite things about this time of year (aside from the seasonal fruits) is mulling our very own wine, for a tasty and traditional tipple. If you’re not a big fan of the drink itself, you can still have some fun making some for your friends and family.  
Classic Mulled Wine Recipe
Mulled wine is made using a range of fruits and spices that infuse into the steadily heated wine, as not to boil off the alcohol. The following recipe makes enough for 1-litre bottle so can be easily multiplied for more!

Ingredients

• 2 Oranges
• 2 Lemons
• 3 Star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 whole cloves
• 100ml of honey
• 1 bottle of red wine
• 250ml apple cider

What You’ll Need

• A large pan
• Wooden Spoon
• A peeler
• Measuring Jug
• 1x litre bottle

Recipe

1. Add the cider and honey to your pan on a low heat and warm through until bubbling and slightly reduced.
2. While the cider is reducing, peel skin directly from your oranges and lemons, small pieces of about 3cm in length are ideal.
3. Pour your red wine into the pan along with your freshly peeled citrus skin, turn the heat down and stir gently for 2 minutes.
4. Next, add the cloves, cinnamon sticks and star anise, turn the heat down even more and leave to infuse for 20 minutes, being careful not to boil the wine.
5. Sieve your wine into a large measuring jug and leave to cool completely.
6. Bottle your wine and leave in your pantry for as long as you can resist! The spices infused in the wine will keep it from spoiling and the longer you leave it, the more intense the flavour becomes.

If you’re not a huge fan of mulled wine, you can use the same recipe using 700mls of cider in place of the wine and 250ml of a liquor, such as Grand Marnier or brandy, in place of the cider. Make sure you’ve got all the bottles you need for this festive season simply order your supplies online today.

Planning a wedding can be stressful at timed, but no more so than in winter. Not only have you got intense competition for a venue and a whole hoard of guests to organise, the weather can cause untold stress for brides and grooms to be. But one thing that won’t dampen your big day is our beautiful range of rustic wedding favours.

Chic Seating Plans
Everybody knows that the seating arrangement is one of the most challenging parts of planning a wedding; trying to ensure your guests are sat with people they know, relatives are together and plus ones are accounted for is no easy task. But once that’s finished, creating your place setting allows for a creative release and can be one of the most enjoyable elements of the preparations. Our range of wedding favour Stephanie Bottles with labels are an attractive and practical alternative to traditional card prints, simply fill with a tipple of your choosing, write on the names of your guests and let them take pride of place as your chic settings!

Light It Up
There’s nothing more romantic than candlelight which makes it perfect for celebrating your love with friends and family. Tealights are a simple and elegant way to add a touch of amour to your wedding and when encased in a small jam jar they can spread their light and give a homey and warm feeling. Whether you choose to scatter them across the tables, line the alter or edge a room, they make a uniquely special addition to any big day.
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Something Sweet
Something old, new, borrowed, blue and sweet! After the sit-down meal and a few drinks, guests can often be found hunting for something sweet to sample. If a sweet table is written into your wedding plans then you can dress it up as well as the rest of your venue, using our classic sweet jars. Shaped like the classic bell jars of sweet shops, they’re bound to spike some romanticised nostalgia amongst your guests.
For all the finishing touches for your big day browse our selection of wedding favours and order online.