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.  

​Although technically September is still summertime, the autumnal fruits and vegetables are starting to yield.  In season this month are delicious delights such as apples, sweet peppers and tomatoes and with Christmas cheeseboards just on the horizon, there’s no better time to make some chutneys!
Autumnal Apples
Arguably the most popular of all the chutneys is the classic apple. Deliciously sweet and terrifically tart at the same time it’s truly a taste sensation that conjures up the classic taste notes of Christmas. Whether you have some atop of cheese and crackers, basted over some roasted ham or even spread thickly on a sandwich it always hits exactly the right spot. If you fancy putting a twist on a classic; sliced up ginger, or even a little bit of star anise ads a subtle but powerful note. Displayed in a classic 16oz chutney jar, your apple-tastic creation can take pride of place in the pantry.
Gearing Up for Gifts
Chutneys make excellent gifts whether as a stocking filler or as a contribution to a tombola but when receiving a gift, everybody likes something a little different to tingle their taste buds. With this in mind, a tomato & pepper chutney popped into a miniature 212ml jar  complete with a gingham lid makes for a gift that excites all the senses. Kind on the eye, but fiery on the tongue this spicy sensation leads the way in unusual gift giving.
Chutney Challenge
If you’re overwhelmed with abundant autumnal fruits for chutney, or if you’re making a huge batch for a later date, then rather than purchasing jars with small volume our half gallon chutney jar could save on space and money. Whether you’re making a one-off wholesale lot or you’re in the chutney or preserving business, these jars are available in pack sizes of 1 and 12.
Get a head start this chutney season and order all your jars online now. Take a look at our website to see our full range and place your order.

Summer is the ripest time of year for many crops and the warm temperatures are known for inspiring the fast fruition of garden goodies. Staring into your patch and conjuring a plan for just how you’re going to eat all that cucumber before it’s past its best can be challenging! Just as plentiful fruit creates a hoard of sweet and delicious jam, a vast array of vegetables can be pickled to keep them in an edible state for longer and it couldn’t be easier! A brine base of sugar, salt vinegar and water can be rustled up in just a few minutes.

Garnish with Garlic
As a member of the onion family, garlic is great for pickling and has a much wider range of uses than the traditional pickled onion. Simply separate and skin the cloves, pop them into a 200ml mini clip top preserving jar and pour over your brine. Once pickled, they can last up to 3 months and in a mini jar, they won’t take up much room in the fridge should you want to further extend their shelf life. After just 24 hours your garlic will be pickled and ready to pop into some mashed potatoes, season vegetables with, create an indulgent sauce or even just eat straight from the jar!

Classic Cucumber
A ripe harvest of cucumbers can be particularly daunting, with most plants sprouting 2 or 3 at a time and the lifespan of only a few days. The humble pickle itself is in fact just pickled cucumber and so preserving this fruit (yes, cucumber is actually a fruit!) makes for some delicious sandwiches, cheeseboards and salads. Whether you choose to cut them up into rings or sticks, using a larger preserve jar such as the 750ml clip top is recommended, as the cucumbers will lose a lot of water in the pickling process. They also absorb a great deal of flavour from the brine, spicing it up with mustard seeds, turmeric or even paprika can give a real kick to your pickle!

If you’re looking to pickle this summer take a look at our vast array of preserving jars online and order your stocks today!

At this time of year when the days are long, and the nights are mild, many of us choose to reunite with friends and family around a BBQ with some games in the garden. Here at glass jars and bottles, we’ve got some ideas to make your garden party extra special and some gift suggestions to really impress your guests!

Centre of Attention
Gathering a group and eating outdoors is one of life’s small pleasures, but when dining al fresco, many overlook table decorations that can add a bit of flair to a meal. One simple way to dress your dining up is with a table centrepiece. This doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, simply trimming some home-grown flowers and sliding them into a green wine bottle is an easy, rustic way to add a splash of colour to the table.

Light it Up
BBQ’s and daytime rendezvous often find a way of creeping into the night time and before you know it darkness descends. But rather than trying to shimmy everyone inside, a bit of stylish lighting can extend the party by a few hours. Mini hexagonal jam jars filled with small tea lights or battery-operated string lights make for a pretty and practical solution, and can even be hung from tree branches with the help of a little bit of string.
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Go Home with a Gift
Once the soiree is over, sending your guests home with a small gift is a nice token of appreciation. For the adults in attendance a small sample of some home-made liquor or infused gin inside a swing top bottle is a welcome little night-cap. Not forgetting the children, a small sample of sweeties is just the trick and when enclosed in a classic sweet shop jar it makes the gift that extra bit special.

With extended daylight hours and warming temperatures, summer provides the perfect backdrop for BBQs and garden parties. If you’re hosting you’ll most likely be out to impress with your spread and if you’re attending as a guest, bringing a contribution that will be appreciated is high on the agenda. That’s where we can help; our range of glass jars and bottles can be purposed into any impressive favour!

Welcome Drinks
With our range of vintage mini-milk bottles, you can do away with traditional champagne flutes. Fill them with prosecco and add a handful of berries for a unique alternative to the traditional wine on arrival. Simple and effective, these bottles are sure to charm your guests and make a subtle and elegant change to the usual beverages. Couple with a paper straw or present them in our mini milk crate for a truly rustic look that will give your guests that summer party feeling.

Tasty Treats
It’s not only delicious drinks that can be delicately displayed in these mini-milk bottles. Thanks to our variety of sizes, you can use them for practical and pretty storage or as an ornamental feature at a party. Got children coming? Fill our 500ml mini-milk bottles with colourful candies and use them as place settings with a twist. Not only will the kids be excited at the prospect of sweets, they will also look chic and sophisticated on the table.

Outstanding Offerings
If you’ve got an event to attend and feel obliged to take a gift, our one litre milk bottles provide a stylish casing for some home-made goods. Whether you’ve been crafting your own cordial or working on some wine, a lovingly prepared batch is an ideal and thoughtful gift. What’s more if you’re planning on infusing some gin or mulling some wine this summer, you can do it in the bottle itself, saving on any would be mess-making in transferring. Simply fill with your flavourings, twist on one of our metal milk bottle lids and let nature get to work!
Give them an event to remember with our range of glass jars and bottles. Take a look at our website to see our full range or to order online.

After a warm and sunny Spring, Summer is underway, bringing with it some fruitful pickings. June marks the season of soft fruits of all kinds. Sweet and subtle flavours like strawberry or apricot and tart but tantalising rhubarb and gooseberries are all ripe for the picking and perfect for preserving at their optimum sweetness. Our range of glass jam jars are on hand for those recipes coming into fruition this summer.

Strawberry Fields
Whether they’re picked on a fruit farm or you’re lucky enough to have them ripening in the garden, strawberries are a quintessentially British fruit. The only thing more representative of the island nation than the fruit itself is strawberry jam, be it smothered on crumpets or in a delicious Victoria sponge cake. Fill our hexagonal jars up with your favourite strawberry jam recipe and twist on a gingham lid for that rustic village fete feel. Available in a range of capacities from the mini 45ml to the 440ml you can create breakfast or tombola sized portions of the sweet sensation.

​Don’t Act the Gooseberry
When it comes to gooseberries, it can be easy to shrug them off as too sour for any sort of jam recipe. When uncooked these small green fruits can get your face in a twist with bitterness. But don’t be left behind; when boiled with a little sugar, they can make the most delightful jelly or jam that can be used in all manner of recipes sweet and savoury for a little sharpness.Keep it fresh by pouring into one of our Orcio jars and display proudly in the pantry for months to come.

Rhubarb Royalty
It was Queen Victoria’s favourite fruit for good reason and now it seems its popularity is on the rise again. Whether in a classic crumble or as an alcohol flavouring this delightfully pink fruit seems to be cropping up in all manner of recipes. June is prime picking time but ensure you don’t leave it on the plant for too long, as it will lose its soft texture and become woody. Don’t worry about using it all up because with a rapid regrowth you can expect another batch next month. With so much cropping up why not try your hand at a rhubarb puree? Perfect for summer Bellinis, over ice cream or in some warm custard. For pristine presentation, house it in one of our swing top bottles and stick it in the fridge.
Make the most of this year’s yield of fruit. With the help of our functional, elegant glass jars and bottles, it’s easy pickings. Take a look online or order today on 01664 474141.

We know the table plan for a wedding can be stressful to devise when you’ve finally sorted the bridesmaids and groomsmen, there’s family, friends and children to consider too. But you can make your place settings look effortless and elegant without having to fret.

A 100ml Stephanie wedding favour bottle, with a pre-attached tag and charm of your choosing, is the picture perfect piece. Simply write on your guests’ name, and place on the table and voila! You’ve got a place setting that’s pretty, personalised and playful all at once.

Let your personality shine
Pre-attached labels mean you can spend less time designing and more time whipping up moreish treats to go inside your place setters. Home-flavoured gins, Limón cello and liquors are never out of place at a party and for the young ones you can easily swap out the tasty tipples for child-friendly cordials, so everyone can toast the happy couple.  Or for the arts and crafts aficionado, why not use coloured grains, sand or even paint for a beautiful and bright design that will last beyond the evening- and give you something to do on the hen do!
That’s not the only way to make these unique to you, with a choice of preset designs you can choose village fete vogue with natural tags and lemon charms, or modern monochrome with black and white tags and silver charms, so whatever your theme these favours will fit right in.

Something to remember
It goes without saying that you’ll need to write the names of your guests on the bottles, so with this personal touch already in place, why not turn these favours into place settings-cum-keepsakes to save those all important wedding pennies.  For a heartfelt approach why not make your own message in a bottle for each guest, you could you opt for a simple thank you note or a cherished memory, either way, we’re sure that guests treasure them for a lifetime.
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If these ideas have tickled your fancy and you’re eager to get creative then go online to choose your 100ml Italian Stephanie Wedding Favour Bottles or call us today on 01664 474 141.

We can’t deny it. Here at Glass Jars and Bottles, December is our very favourite time of the year. Aside from the flurry of festive activity, there’s that magical end-of-year anticipation that comes with the approach of 2018. From sharing some present pointers with you to hints on how your home-grown business can flourish in the New Year, why not celebrate the season with us and take a peek at our latest blog?

Step into Christmas
When it comes to preparing for Christmas, it’s those all-important December details that make the difference. Whether you’re a chef extraordinaire or simply trying your hand at creating some unique jams as part of your Christmas goodies, make sure you don’t overlook those festive finishing touches. From our Christmas Gift Box Set to our wonderfully quaint Jar Gift Boxes complete with tags and ribbons, you can be sure that your pressies will impress.

New Year, New Business
Perhaps 2018 marks a new business venture for you? From setting up shop with your homemade preserves and chutneys to selling your goodies to local stores and cafes, you’ll need a supply of chic jam jars to complete the look. With our Bargain Box of 120 Panelled Round Jars plus a selection of lid colours and designs, you can carve out a recognisable, quality brand for your culinary delights.  

Tying the Knot?
There’s no time like December and New Year’s Eve for a romantic proposal, and if you’re one of the lucky couples to be tying the knot come 2018, then you’re likely imagining the big day already. If there’s one thing that’s a priority, it’s making sure that your wedding is beautifully original. With our diverse range of wedding favours, you can raise your creative game, filling them with sweet titbits, cute personalised messages or even mini floral displays.
Embrace the opportunities of the season with our elegant selection of glass jars and bottles. To order yours, simply call our friendly team on 01664 474141 or take a look online today.