HomeHolidaysChristmasBest of NJ Gift Guide: Presents for Foodies

Best of NJ Gift Guide: Presents for Foodies

From its mouth-watering salt-water taffy to its gourmet pasta sauces and local cheeses, the Garden State serves up plenty of delicious gift ideas for the foodies on your shopping list. If they’ve already got kitchen gadgets galore, consider some of these tempting treats made right in their home state.

Just be careful: You may be tempted to order some of these sweet and savory snacks for yourself instead. Here are some picks that foodies will love.


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Cape May Popcorn Factory

Price: Varies according to type of popcorn and container. (Example: 1 gallon of caramel popcorn with M&Ms in a decorative tin is $31.99)

The holidays are a perfect time to sit by the fire with a tin of your favorite popcorn, or watch a marathon of seasonal movies like Elf and A Christmas Story. The Cape May Popcorn Factory offers caramel, salted, candy-coated, savory, plain, and kettle corn, all ready to ship in various sizes. Each batch is individually prepared and taste-tested using 100-percent natural ingredients, free of preservatives.


Belvidere Baking Company

Price: Aristocrat Gift Boxes start at $31; other prices vary
The Belvidere Baking Company has a tempting sampler ($16) that includes blueberry, triple berry, red raspberry, and strawberry jams. Gourmet apple and peach butters are also available, as well as the bakery’s signature biscuits (like the blueberry white chocolate ones, pictured), and Aristocrat Gift Boxes, which contain an antique item (like a teacup and saucer), along with the company’s jams or biscuits.


The Original Fudge Kitchen

Price: Varies. (Example: A fudge and taffy combo gift box is $14.95)
Chocolate lovers on your gift list can enjoy a sweet surprise from The Original Fudge Kitchen, where the Bogle Family has been hand-whipping their creamy fudge in small batch copper kettles for more 40 years. In addition to 22 flavors of fudge, the Cape May landmark also features salt-water taffy and sugar-free fudge. The sweet shop ships anywhere in the world.


Pickals Pickles

Price: $10 a jar
Pickals offers connoisseurs of the sandwich staple a chance to enjoy flavorful garlicky pickle slices while supporting a great cause. Proceeds from the sale of each jar of Pickals, founded by Arthur Cohen of Maplewood, benefits the Greater New York Chapter of the ALS Association. Email your dill-lightful orders to info@pickals.org.


Savoring The Shore Cookbook

Price: $22.65 (on Amazon)
Foodies are known to read cookbooks as if they were novels, so why not present one that showcases the recipes of some of the Jersey Shore’s top chefs! Savoring the Shore includes the how-tos behind some of the best dishes prepared by home cooks and chefs. Proceeds benefit Sandy recovery and rebuilding efforts for the Garden State.


Nanina’s in The Park Gourmet Pasta Sauce

Price: $6.99 per jar
Gourmands who don’t have time to whip up their own batch of sauce (or gravy, depending on where you’re from) will treasure Nanina’s in the Park Gourmet Pasta Sauces. They’re available in Marinara, Vodka, Tomato and Basil, and Fra Diavolo, and all are gluten-free.


The Cheese Cave Cheese

Price: Cheese of the Month Club is $50 per month, other items vary
For fans of artisanal cheeses, a gift from Red Bank’s The Cheese Cave may prove a cut above the rest. In addition to its wide selection of cheeses, the Cheese Cave also offers fruit preserves, chutneys, honey, and crackers, all of which can be included in gift baskets.


Mama’s Boy Dog Cookies

Price: Treats (like the grain-free goodies, pictured) start at $4.99
Don’t forget Fido! If you’re a dog owner, you probably know how much man’s best friend loves a delicious treat. Roseland-based Mama’s Boy Dog Cookies features homemade, gourmet, all-organic dog cookies, for pooches of all sizes, made with love.


Coffee of the Month Club

Price: 2 lbs. a month is $164, 3 lbs. a month is $229, and 4 lbs. a month is $299.
Java junkies will crave a membership to the Coffee of the Month Club from Monmouth Beach-based Booskeroo Fresh Roasted Coffee Co. Choose from a variety of blends which can be delivered in two- or three-pound shipments each month.

Make this season as delicious as possible with these locally sourced finds foodies will love.


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Hero (Top) Feature Image: ©  Facebook/The Cheese Cave.

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