Homemade goods that'll last more than 2 weeks

[OnceUponABite]

I visitng some releatives overseas next month. I want to bring them some homemade goodies. But the usual cookies and candies won't last the week that I'll be travelling before I see them, not to mention the extreme temperature in the cargo area of the plane when I check my bags.

Are there any goodies that will keep well or even age to a better flavor after a week?

[Davwud]

Is there a reason why you can't make the home made goodies when you get there??

DT

[DiveFan]

If they like cooking spicy food, send them some dried chiles. Lightweight with a long shelf life.

[danna]

I made some very fudgey brownies that I froze, and then mailed in a cooler w/ gel-ice packs to Iraq. My friend didn't get them for about 3 weeks but he said they were still good. I have only his word on that, though!

[Ida Red]

A Rum cake would work, except it would be a bit heavy to lug around.

[MuppetGrrl]

Cold-pickled pickles! They can be quite beautiful in the jar, and it takes a week to fully pickle, anyway.

[Hungry Celeste]

Homemade spiced/roasted nuts...pecans, macadamias, etc. These aren't temp sensitive in any way and will be fine after a week of travel.

[cheryl_h]

This is an excellent idea. I've been wanting to try some spicy smoked nuts for ages, but I know I'll just eat the whole lot on my own.

[HillJ]

Homemade granola is a good choice and has so many uses
Fresh coffee beans or tea

[amoncada]

A couple jars of your favorite barbacue sauces and rubs, fine herbs, fine tequila, Mexican canned and pickled hot peppers, fine olive oil, Giradelli Chocolate or cocoa powder for chocolate milk, baking, etc. Canned Dole fruits. Starbucks ground coffee. Canned Genoa Tuna from Trader Joe's ($1.50 per can while other stores sell it for up to $3.00) is fantastic. Also try the trader joes canned smoked trout in olive oil. Fine apple butter's and preserve. Fine flour and corn meal for baking and frying.

[jenhen2]

How about biscoti? I make these delicious spiced ones with pepper in them from Cooks Illustrated. They are always a hit and keep forever! Well, until they get eaten anyhow....

[cheryl_h]

Where are they located? When I visit my family in South Africa I take goodies that they can't get locally. They're not homemade, my sister-in-law is a much better cook than I am. But they can't get a lot of American treats. I took macadamia nut clusters, Tabasco sauce, salted caramels, chocolate chips for cookies. I also took lots of dried and canned Chinese goods they don't find easily - canned abalone, dried mushrooms, dried squid, dried fungus, Sichuan preseved vegetable etc.

If you still want homemade treats, how about preserves? They're hot-processed so should be fine after a couple of weeks. You could take American fruit preserves which are still in season. Or pickles? I made some pickled peaches which were very good - easy to make too.

[OnceUponABite]

I'm going to Taiwan, so all Chinese stuff is not needed.

I also can't really bring some most American things like preserves of TAbasco...my releatives are really Chinese and would no use for things like that at all.

I think I'm going to have to go with the spiced nuts and biscotti idea maybe.

[Hungry Celeste]

Here's my standard roasted pecan recipe: melt half a stick of butter either in a heavy big ovenproof skillet or a baking pan. To the butter, add a tablespoon of worcestershire, a 1/2 teaspoon of tabasco, and a little powdered thyme (just a little). Stir, then toss in a pound of shelled pecan halves, and stir vigorously to coat. Spread evenly in the pan, then sprinkle over a generous amt of sea salt. Stick pan in the oven at 350; stir every five minutes for the first 10 min, then stir more frequently until the nuts reach the desired state of roastedness.

[Ida Red]

That sounds nice, especialy since pecans are native to the US.