With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, hopefully you’ve already gotten your sweetheart a gift, ordered flowers, or made reservations at their favorite restaurant, and now you’re eagerly awaiting the 14th to share that special day in a bubble of romantic bliss. But what about those millions of Americans who aren’t lucky enough to spend the day with their loved ones, those poor souls in long distance relationships? You could send flowers, but why not send something a little sweeter, a bit more personal, something that shows your creative side and how much love you’re willing to put into a gift and a relationship. We’re talking about homemade candies, chocolates, and other confections. Shipping food items, even perishable ones, through the USPS or other shippers is easy enough if you follow some simple guidelines.
First you need to determine what you wish to send, as different foodstuffs will have different packaging needs and may require different labeling. To start, you want to ensure that your goodies get where they’re going without breaking. To this end, it’s a good idea to separate and protect individual chocolates, hard candies, and such. A specialty candy box with a divided candy tray is the best way to do this. Just make sure you use a tray designed to fit the specific candy box to give your treats the most protection possible. Another way to keep items separated is using individual foil or paper candy cups. An advantage here is that you can use any size box, and the cups can accommodate larger or non-uniform confections. Smaller treats that won’t stick together like nuts or dried fruits can be packed in food safe polystyrene bags before being packaged into a box. For a romantic touch, you can use pink or red tinted bags.
A second concern when shipping food items is keeping them fresh on their trip. Begin by making sure to package candies that absorb moisture (caramels, mints, hard candies, toffee) in a different container from those that lose moisture (fudge, fondant, meringues). In the winter months or in colder climates, refrigeration might not be needed. However, there’s no telling what tomorrow’s weather will bring, so take some precautions to ensure your goodies get there as fresh as possible. Make sure your chocolates are refrigerated before packaging. The colder your chocolates start, the longer they will stay cool during transit. Also, use an insulated shipping container with a gel cold pack when shipping perishable items. As a pro tip, store the insulated box and gel pack in your freezer for a few days before packing. Waterproof mailing envelopes or specially designed water-resistant boxes can offer an additional layer of moisture protection for baked goods like cookies or grandma’s famous fruitcake.
As a final step make sure to choose a mailing box or envelope large enough to accommodate the enclosed candy boxes and bags along with ample padding. You can use bubble cushioning, poly foam sheets, or even clean, crumped newsprint paper to protect the contents and keep them from shifting during shipping. Do not reuse printed newspaper as the ink could contain harmful chemicals, and it can rub off on your beautifully prepared goodies or on the recipient’s hands and clothing. Per mailing guidelines, you should not wrap the main box in gift wrap, however, you can use specialty decorative mailing boxes and decorative bubble mailers to add a festive touch. Lastly, be sure to mark your package as “perishable food” to encourage careful handling.
Happy Valentine’s Day
