Presentation of homemade produce is key

If you’ve ever been given a jar of homemade jam or chutney by a friend or neighbour and been left in doubt about what is actually in the jar, how hygienically it has been prepared or just how long it has been lingering at the back of the pantry before you were gifted it, then you will know already just how important labelling and presentation is when making homemade products, such as jams, jellies, pickles and preserves. In today’s blog post, we’re going to discuss how to present your homemade produce to its best advantage, so that it looks every bit as good as store-bought alternatives. Read on to get the lowdown in time for the Christmas gift-giving season - with just a few short months until December 25th, now is the time to start planning if you want all, or a significant portion of your gifts to be homemade this year!

Why jam labels are so important

There’s a good reason why absolutely everything you buy, whether in a supermarket or a local delicatessen, has a label on it - we all want to know exactly what we’re buying and what is in the jar! When it comes to shop-bought items, we want to know if the jar contains any additives or E numbers, or perhaps whether it contains palm oil, gluten or any number of other things we might not actually want. And of course, we check the label to ensure that there isn’t anything that we don’t really like - after all, who would buy a jar of chutney, for example, if they knew it had an ingredient in it that they hated? The other key piece of information that we look for on food labels is the best-before date; we want to ensure that the item we’re buying has the longest possible shelf life.

When it comes to homemade produce, the principles behind labelling are exactly the same. While we might not go to the trouble of providing a full ingredients list, it’s only courteous to provide a label that explains what is in the jar. It’s not always obvious for example, whether a jar contains orange marmalade or onion marmalade without opening it. A simple label stating what the produce inside actually is goes a long way in the presentation stakes. If you add the date that you made it too, then the recipient of the jar can have peace of mind that you haven’t offloaded something that has been kicking around for months or years!

Choosing your jam labels

At Wares, we have an extensive range of jam labels for you to choose from, to suit every style and taste. Our pictorial labels are always popular and come in so many different styles to reflect the various types of jams, pickles and preserves that you might choose to make. There are jam labels for strawberry jam, raspberry jam, gooseberry jam and plum jam, for example. There are also labels for marmalade, chutney, pickled onions and more. We also have rectangular and oval-shaped labels to suit your own personal taste.

If you don’t want to pick a label that reflects the exact homemade jam or pickle that you’ve made, we have some other charming labels to choose from, with pretty designs that are more generic. These include gingham checks, stripes, polka dots, coloured borders and more, all in a variety of lovely colours.

For a more contemporary look, our Union Jack jam labels are ideal; bright, fun and eye-catching, they really do look the business when splashed across your jars. Why not make up some mixed packs of three or five different jams or preserves, to give as Christmas gifts - using these fun labels across all of the different items to bring them all together for an overall professional look?

If you are planning to give some jars of your own homemade jam or chutney as gifts this Christmas, you might want to consider adding a little ribbon too and maybe packaging your gifts in some professional-looking gift bags or boxes. Again, we have an extensive range to choose from, whether you want something for a single jar, a group of three or a full hamper of homemade goodies. Why not browse our range now, and get organised in plenty of time. After all, if you’ve ever had good intentions about making all of your own Christmas gifts in the past, only to leave it too late, you’ll know how important it is to start early. And with the all too real prospect of a second wave of Coronavirus hitting the UK at peak Christmas shopping time, this year could be the year to really commit to the goal of 100% homemade gift-giving; you’ll avoid the crowds and have the satisfaction of giving something that you’ve put time and energy into personally.

Have you started your Christmas gift making yet? Be sure to share your homemade adventures with us via social media!