If you choose to cut the citrus fruits open, you’ll want to wait until the day you’ll be giving them out to ensure they are fresh and then encourage the recipients to add water and shimmer the ingredients within 24 to 48 hours.

Try to avoid gifting the jars with water already in them as the appearance of the ingredients may start to change before you have a chance to hand them out.

Rinse and dry the fir swags and crab apples before placing in the jars to make sure there aren’t any little crawling friends going into the gift jars.

With the tips above in mind, assemble the goodies and start to fill the jars. Depending on the size of the opening, you may want to set the heavy fruits on the bottom or slide in the longer ingredients first.

Add the lids and maybe some festive ribbon to help hold everything in and
add a little sparkle!

To use: Add 6 cups of water, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for about 2 hours, keeping a close eye on the water level to ensure the pot does not dry out.