Here are 11 food gifts that Mytour readers consider the best and worst options to give—check out these suggestions for your next gift-giving event.

This is undoubtedly a perfect gift. Few moments compare to the joy of receiving a jar of homemade jam from someone you care about—or even someone you just tolerate. It’s a magical experience; it warms your heart and makes you appreciate (or at least tolerate) them even more.

“I gift homemade jams and jellies. People always think I’m giving them some divine elixir. They ask for more, especially my plum and strawberry jams.” (PhoebeCaulfieldTheThird)

It is, indeed, the nectar of the gods, PhoebeCaulfieldTheThird—we all know how much effort goes into creating it. Enough effort, in fact, to cause some marital tension:

“In the past, I’ve made apple butter and blackberry jelly (using my thornless blackberry bushes, which are too tart for raw eating but make excellent pies and jelly) to gift during the holidays. But it takes so much time, my wife gets frustrated with how much I’m in the kitchen. Making apple butter from scratch takes nearly all day.” (8x10)

Last year, the Mytour team participated in a Secret Santa gift exchange, and my Santa, Senior Health Editor Beth Skwarecki, surprised me with a Stonewall Kitchen mustard variety pack, because she’s a wonderful person who truly wants me to be happy. Wendy Rhodes agrees:

“I can’t get enough of condiment variety packs, especially since I do a lot of cooking.”

For me, the best gift is a consumable one that also supports local businesses. Think jams from local farms, olive oils from the quaint shop on Main Street, or chocolates from the nearby place that makes the best nonpareils... I could practically finish my entire gift list by wandering around my city. You can probably do the same!

“Let’s give a round of applause to small businesses in your area! I’m sure there are local jam makers, honey producers, fermentation experts, and bakers in your own neighborhood. Sample their products now and pick your favorites for your friends.” (OracleAnne)

“If possible, give something local—or something unique to where you live. This could be something you brought back from a trip, something from a local farm, a hometown specialty, a great find from a local shop, or even something you made yourself. It doesn’t have to be extravagant. For example, my grocery store carries a simple brand of jam that’s not particularly fancy, but my mother loves it, so I make sure to give her several jars every year.” (GuB)

The first bite of homemade fudge or peppermint bark is pure bliss during the holidays. But by the time we reach the end of the year, we’ve had more than enough of them. It’s best to give perishable treats earlier in the season (and not too often).

“My mom is a minister, so we always got a ton of edible gifts growing up. The least appreciated were the perishable sweets. Don’t get me wrong, we loved the first batch of cookies, but by the sixth or seventh, it was a tough choice: feel guilty for letting them go stale or feel guilty for indulging in unhealthy food.” (Kevin Baker)

“Whenever I get cookies, cakes, etc., I freeze them immediately if I can, but by the holiday season’s end, I’m usually tired of them. I think gifts that have a longer shelf life are the best, so there’s no pressure to use them up or give them away, especially for those of us who can’t stand wasting food.” (Welp.)

When gifting alcohol, always do so responsibly. But if you are going to give it, homemade spirits offer a thoughtful and festive touch:

“I’ve followed in my mom’s footsteps and now make and bottle homemade Bailey’s Irish Cream to gift to friends for the holidays. The bottles always make their way back to be refilled the following year.” (Pace)

“I typically make limoncello around the holidays and share it with people who will appreciate it.” (QADude)

I’ll also mention that a friend once gave out bottles of cherry-infused vodka at Christmas, and I was charmed by the gesture.

As someone who used to live near a Trader Joe's but now doesn't, I find this suggestion from AdmNaismith especially thoughtful: “For friends who live far away, I fill a USPS Flat Rate box with goodies from Trader Joe’s. I just stuff in as much as I can.”

If Mytour’s Senior Food Writer Claire Lower ever wanted to send me a gift, she’d know exactly what I’d want—atonement for always writing about all the mouthwatering Trader Joe’s products I can’t get my hands on.

If you've never tasted one of those enormous apples dipped in caramel (and/or chocolate) and coated in amazing toppings like nuts, marshmallows, toffee, or candy—have you truly lived? Big thanks to PhoebeCaulfieldTheThird for reminding me of this treat:

“For store-bought goodies, Mrs Prindables caramel apples are always a hit. While their variety and value aren't what they once were, they still offer a decent holiday indulgence. One apple is large enough to be shared by three or four people.”

Though I haven’t tried Mrs Prindables personally, I can vouch for the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory version. They are both 1. delicious, and 2. large enough for a group. (If you need a starting point, I highly recommend the Apple Pie Caramel Apple.)

Well, it might not be a total miss—it all depends on who you ask. PhoebeCaulfieldTheThird is a fan of the classic (and pricey) gift baskets from Harry & David, which are best known for their pears: “I once received a Harry and David basket and I still long for those pears. The chocolate-covered dried fruits were pretty tasty, too. I’d be happy to get one again anytime.”

However, others feel the baskets are overpriced, with the pears failing to live up to expectations, and the non-pear “filler” items being a bit underwhelming.

“Forget it! We got one last year, and it was terrible. The pears were awful—had to peel them because the skin was too bitter. Even then, they were barely edible. And the rest of the stuff... Walmart’s store brands are better. Don’t waste your money!” (8x10)

“The pears are great, but I wasn’t too impressed with the condiments. I expected more.” (persiaa)

Not all fruits are off the table, though. If you’re looking for a gift for JRHaggs, for instance, they recommend “grapefruit, figs, dates, and pomegranates” as especially thoughtful choices.

“When it comes to receiving gifts, I often get Edible Arrangements, but it’s tough to eat that much fresh fruit before it spoils; cut-up fruit is highly perishable. Personally, I much prefer dried fruits and nuts, or a box of those premium citrus fruits from Florida. Actually, nuts are the top choice—unless you’re allergic, who doesn’t love them?” (Jerseygirltoo)

Giving chocolate is far from being a tired gift idea; it’s a gesture of warmth and generosity. For anyone who’s a fan of chocolate, receiving it is always a sweet delight. It's a treat we often reserve for special occasions, a chance to indulge ourselves a little more, and the perfect mood-lifter when the cold, dark days of winter drag on.

“A box of really good chocolates.” (Mehphisto)

To wrap up, I’ll leave you with ThomastheBrain’s sage advice for the holidays: “Don’t sleep on classic fudge either.”