How to make a mulled wine spice pouch from old peel and spices – recipe

Tom Hunt’s mulled wine spice pouch: wrap old bits of anise, cinnamon, citrus peel and cloves in a bag, and gift as ready-to-go mulled wine kit. Photograph: Tom Hunt/The Guardian

I love making edible gifts, mainly because a handmade one feels somehow more generous than something you’ve just bought in a shop; it can also be a thrifty way to clear out your cupboards. This Christmas, I’m making mulled wine pouches using warming spices and saved-up dried ginger and citrus peel, which I’ve dried above the oven. Spices are better bought whole, rather than ground, because they stay fresher that way. Even so, they, too, will lose potency over time, so it’s a good idea to rotate them, making sure older spices get used up before you buy replacements. (At home, we keep a “use-next” box of dried ingredients on the countertop, which often doubles up as inspiration for our next meal.)

Mulled wine spice pouch