This is the perfect time to make jams, preserves and chutneys! If you can that's great, but if you don't , you can still make freezer jams. Add a favorite food to complete the gift or give it as is. For example, freezer jam with great english muffins. I give hot pepper jelly, apple chutney, fig jam and bread and butter pickles at the holidays and my friends are thrilled. Hope this helps!

Not sure if you're anywhere near Philadelphia, but this dessert might be the best one I've ever had and you can purchase it...Salted Caramel Budino http://weheartphilly.com/

I like the simple sugar/ginger infusions. Great for gifts. You can find little plastic squeeze bottles at dollar stores--wal-mart. That and a bottle of bubbly mineral water makes a nice gift for a co-worker or neighbor.

That earlier Food52 contest sure yielded some great ideas. If alcohol is among your ideas, you can infuse vodka with your favorite flavors, ginger, horse radish, cherry, etc. I am making a cinnamon liqueur with brandy (licor de canela). Deconstructing you favorite soup or baking recipe with a gift jar of measured ingredients is another way to go. Or you can make your own herbal tea mix, with your own bags and labels. There are many tea shops where you can get ingredients to mix or lots of sites to help you make your own from scratch (dry your own ingredients, etc). Here is just one link: http://www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/herbal-tea-bags.html A mug or teapot to go with that gift works well, too.

Someone asked the same question a few days ago, I remember because she mentioned "pub bark" and I had to look it up. Put "pub bark" in the search questions box above and that will take you to that previous thread . . . yum!

it might be too late for you to get it started now, but i am making vanilla extract-- a batch of beans steeped in dark rum and a batch of beans steeped in vodka.

You'll find quite a few here, as that was a contest theme last December: http://www.food52.com/contests/87 ;o)