Old-fashioned sweets in glass sweet jars

We’ve talked in previous blog posts about how the Coronavirus pandemic and its associated lockdown has forced us all to come up with new and inventive ways to occupy ourselves while we have been stuck at home, either because we were furloughed, were made redundant or we were shielding at home.

Even now that lockdown restrictions have eased for most of us, local lockdowns and a reluctance to go about our daily lives as if everything was back to normal means that we are still looking for ideas on how to entertain ourselves, and how to find some positives in this most extraordinary of years. One of those positives is a surge in interest in all things homemade.

Whether it’s making your own clothes, making gifts to give for birthdays and so on, or baking your own bread and cakes, and preparing more of your own meals from scratch, many of us have found the time and energy to have a go at a few things that we’ve always wanted to try but never got around to doing previously. One of those things is making your own sweets and confectionery, and in today’s blog post, we’re going to look at doing just that. So if you have a sweet tooth and a pang of nostalgia for your childhood, read on to learn how to make some of those old-time favourites.

Filling those glass sweet jars

Nothing reminds us more of our childhoods than one or two glass sweet jars filled with tempting sweeties. From boiled sweets to fudge or peanut brittle, we love them all. And many of them are surprisingly easy to make yourself, so it’s well worth having a go. Here’s an easy starter recipe for fudge, which you could customise yourself by adding extras of your choice, such as raisins, dried raspberries or flavourings such as peppermint.

Ingredients

1 large tin of condensed milk
150 ml full-fat milk
125gms unsalted butter
475gms demerara sugar or golden caster sugar

Method

Add all of the ingredients to a large saucepan, and heat gently until the sugar is completely dissolved, stirring all the time.

Bring to the boil, and keep it boiling for around 10 minutes, stirring all the time to prevent the fudge mixture from burning or sticking. Use a jam thermometer to test the temperature - it needs to reach 115°. When it has reached the required temperature, remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Now beat the mixture continuously until it thickens and changes its appearance to a matte finish. This could take up to 10 minutes.

Line a square baking tin with greaseproof paper, and press the fudge mixture into it, smoothing over the top. Allow to cool thoroughly, and then slice into cubes. Store in an airtight container (if there’s any left to store, that is!).

Our range of glass sweet jars

If you plan to give homemade sweets as gifts, either for birthdays or for Christmas, then presentation is key, and it really does pay to invest in some lovely glass sweet jars to show off your efforts to their best advantage. Our ‘Pot Club’ glass storage jars are ideal for sweets and they come in a range of sizes, from 0.25l right up to a whopping 2l jar - that’s enough for even the sweetest of tooths! These jars have a lovely glass stopper lid, and look fantastic when filled with your own homemade sweets and finished off with a lovely label and a little bit of ribbon.

Other ideas for homemade sweets

Whilst fudge might just be the easiest of homemade sweets to attempt, there are plenty of other ideas to consider too. Why not have a go a Kendal mint cake for example, or toffee brittle - both of these are fairly straightforward to make and will undoubtedly go down a treat with the whole family.

If you are feeling a little more adventurous, have a go at making your own chocolate truffles or nougat, or indulge your inner kid with some homemade jelly beans or gummy shapes. Honeycomb dipped in chocolate is one of our all-time favourites, and we can’t resist marshmallows either! While they might not quite be sweets in the truest sense, mini meringues also look fabulous when presented in glass sweet jars, as do macarons.

And if you want to go for full-on nostalgia, try making those chocolate discs that are covered in sprinkles, or perhaps try red and white striped candy canes. Whatever takes your fancy, there’s almost certainly a recipe out there to help you make it yourself, so go exploring to see what you can come up with.

If you’ve already had a go at making some sweet treats yourself, why not share them with us online? We love to hear your stories and to see photos of all the great things you’ve achieved. Get in touch with us via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to share your homemade adventures.