( CNN ) -- Some Americans are giving homegrown food and specialty items as presents this holiday season and spending a fraction of what they 'd pay in a store . Who does n't like a tasty bargain ? According to the National Gardening Association , about 41 million households participate in food gardening ; 58 percent do it to grow better tasting food and 54 percent do it to save money on food bills . But Kenneth Wingard , a home furnishings designer , is among the 23 percent of growers who share their tasty treats with others . This year , he 's giving away organic peach jam and preserves from his California ranch for the holidays . `` It 's definitely a cost savings , '' Wingard said . `` It probably ends up costing us about $ 2 a jar and we are handing out 60 this year . '' But he does n't just do it for the cost , he enjoys the warm , fuzzy feeling it brings him . `` They are the kind of fuzzy peaches I remember growing up with in Georgia -- where you buy them off the side of the road and they make the whole car smell like summery goodness , '' Wingard said . `` The jam is the same way -- the color of the peaches stays vibrant and when it hits warm bread it smells like I 'm back on the side of the road with peach juice dripping down my chin . '' The 46-year-old peach grower and his partner , Mike Gotham , planted about 30 trees on their ranch in Boonville , California , three years ago and are just starting to get some fruit from them . So far , they make their jams and preserves from an older tree . `` Luckily , we have a mature peach tree that was planted by a forward-thinking former owner , which makes me more than a little nervous about what we 're going to do with fruit from 30 trees one day , '' Wingard said , chuckling . Wingard said he makes his peach jam and preserves his grandmother 's way . `` For canning , we parboil , peel and pit the peaches , then cook them down with some sugar and pectin and put them in jars in an enamel canner to sterilize , '' he said . The jam has a velvety smooth sweetness without a hint of tartness . `` We leave some big chunks of peaches in it , so you 'll get those real bursts of peach flavor and not too much sugar , '' Wingard said . His father is his No . 1 recipient . `` He starts dropping hints around harvest time , '' Wingard said . The couple stopped giving store-bought holiday gifts a few years ago and enjoy giving `` noncommercial '' gifts . `` At this point in our lives , no one needs more 'stuff , ' so we like giving consumables and creating something from scratch , with special meaning , '' said Wingard . Liz Porter of Hickory Flat , Georgia , had a similar inspiration to grow holiday gifts from her garden . `` I wanted to find ways to do something for our grown children without buying them gifts they may not really need , '' Porter said . She also grows food for friends and business associates . She 's been making holiday gift baskets filled with homemade jams , jellies , pickles , relishes and breads for about 10 years . She also adds items like bay leaves , garlic and rosemary . Porter makes breakfast baskets , too . She grows her own field corn to grind for cornmeal and grits and will add fresh eggs from her chickens . She likes to add a bit of pizzazz to her gifts , so she 'll use cheese boxes , copper pots or iron skillets as containers for her food . `` I think people always appreciate something that comes from the heart , '' Porter said . `` I can recall some experimental recipes that may not have tasted that good , like my whole-wheat fruit breads , but my gifts always bring a smile to my recipients . '' Porter said she has always made homemade gifts to save money . `` In these times , saving dollars means a great deal , '' she said . `` And the one benefit that can not be priced is the time one can spend with family , friends and community while gardening and harvesting . ''
Some people will receive homegrown food gifts this holiday season . Kenneth Wingard gives away peach jam and preserves from his California ranch . Liz Porter makes gift baskets filled with homemade jams , jellies , pickles , relishes .