The holiday season is just around the corner! Soon we’ll all be spending our weekends trotting from house to house for Friendsgiving, Ugly Sweater Christmas parties, and gatherings with family and friends. I can hardly wait!
I love putting something creative and thoughtful together for someone when they take the time to invite me to their home. With that said, time is somewhat limited during the holiday season. Shopping for each hostess individually isn’t always achievable. Prepping a few hostess gifts to store in your pantry for the upcoming season is one way to make sure you are always prepared!
When Pure Flavor® came to me with a request to create a holiday themed recipe with their Cloud9® tomatoes, I could hardly wait to put these sweet Bruschetta in a Jar Hostess Gifts together!
These little jars of goodness are the perfect gift for a cocktail party or family dinner. Bring along a loaf of fresh bread and you’re guaranteed to be the favorite guest!
Cloud9® tomatoes are perfect for this recipe! They’re nice and sweet, and they’re the perfect shade of festive red for this holiday gift!
For this dish, you’ll need:
BRUSCHETTA INGREDIENTS
- 3 Dry Pints Pure Flavor® Cloud9® Tomatoes, diced
- 1 Cup Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 Cup White Wine Vinegar
- 5 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Dried Basil
- 2 Tbsp Dried Oregano
- 2 Tbsp Balsamic
- Optional (for serving): Olive Oil, 1 Garlic Clove, Italian Loaf
CRAFTING AND CANNING SUPPLIES
- 6 8oz Glass Canning Mason Jars with Airtight Lids and Bands
- Canning Rack, Funnel, and Jar Tongs
- Festive Ribbon or Twine
- Decorative Serving Spoons
- Sticker Labels
Start with preparing the jars for the canning process.
Clean the jars and lids in warm soapy water.
Place the canning rack and jars in the bottom of a heavy bottomed pot and cover them with an inch of water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Keeping the jars warm until you are ready to fill them will help keep them from cracking when you pour the hot liquid into them during preparation.
Prepare the vinegar mixture and fill the jars.
Combine the wine, garlic, sugar, basil, oregano, and balsamic in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and boil for 5 minutes.
While the liquid is boiling, pack the tomatoes into each jar.
Pour the vinegar mixture into each jar leaving at least half an inch of headspace.
Wipe the mouths of each jar with a clean towel and close the lids tightly.
Make sure that you get any debris or dried spices off the mouths of each jar, any air bubbles will cause your seal to fail.
Using the jar tongs, carefully place the jars back down into the simmering water, cover, and boil for 20 minutes to process.
After 20 minutes, carefully life each jar out of the water and place on a towel on the counter to cool for 12 – 24 hours.
How can you tell that your jar is properly sealed?
Gently press your finger down on the lid. If the lid doesn’t flex or pop back and forth, you’re in good shape!
Now it’s time to get creative!
Grab a set of Christmas tags and place them on top of each jar. You can either label them all the same with a “Merry Christmas” or “Holiday Bruschetta” label, or fill them out with your hostess’s name before you leave for each event.
Tie a festive ribbon or piece of twine around each jar, knot it once, place a decorative spoon over the first knot, and knot again!
Check out these sweet little Christmas spoons I picked up for my jars! You can find decorative spoons like these on Amazon or at any local craft store.
When it’s time to party, swing by a bakery on the way and grab a fresh loaf!
I love to bring a fresh loaf of Italian bread and maybe even a bottle of wine with these gifts. Even if the hostess doesn’t place it out that night, I’m sure they’ll snack on it the next day!
If you’ll be enjoying your bruschetta right away, rub a garlic clove over each piece of sliced bread , brush it gently with a little olive oil, and grill each piece for a couple of minutes for that perfect crisp bite!
Top each slice of bread with a spoonful of bruschetta and enjoy!
These jars will keep up to 12 months properly sealed, or 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator once opened.
I hope you enjoyed this delicious, creative recipe! This was such a fun way to get myself in the mood for the upcoming season!
From our family to yours, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to post a rating and comment!
I’d love to see your pictures on Instagram too! Tag @a_toastedcrumb and @pureflavor!
This post is sponsored by Pure Flavor®. Learn more about Pure Flavor and their commitment to supporting healthier lifestyles by visiting their website.