How To Mail Fresh Homemade Bread To Your Loved Ones
Yesit’s totally possible.
Food might not be one of the official love languages , but we can think of no better way to show your appreciation and care for someone than baking them a delicious treat. And in times when we can’t be together to literally break bread with one another, you might be looking at options like shipping some loaves across the countryor even the worldso your loved ones can enjoy them. Luckily, mailing bread is pretty easy if you follow a few key steps.
Ship Baked Goods At The Beginning Of The Week
The best time to ship baked goods is early in the week. Sweets shipped on Fridays often get stuck in sorting facilities over the weekend. The odds of delays go up later in the week, increasing the chances that your customers will receive stale, or worse, sweets that have fallen into the food safety temperature danger zone.
Strategize Your Shipping Timeline
The old adage says timing is everything, and thats especially true when it comes to shipping perishable food. Ship early in the weeknever over the weekend when packages can warm up, says Ecwids Jesse Ness. Shipping delays can cause your baked goods to spoil, which will inevitably lead to an unhappy customer.
To avoid any potential snafus, create a shipping timeline that encompasses everything from the time your baked goods have cooled and are ready to go until the time your customer is ready to enjoy them. This includes how much time it will take to package all of your shipments and hand them off to your carrier in addition to the overall transportation time.
You may also consider setting order cut-off times to ensure an order will be delivered within a specific window of time. You can offer rush delivery for an additional fee, but setting a cut-off time will keep you, your customers, and your shipping carrier on the same page about a realistic timeline for an orders arrival.
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Let The Recipient Know A Package Is Coming
While a surprise box of cookies would brighten anyones day, its better to give your customer a heads up when their baked goods are near. Help your customer out by keeping them up to date on the status of their sweet treats with a tracking number. This can help them keep an eye out for any packages, and get goodies into the fridge as soon as possible after delivery.
With these tips at the ready, youll be sending off your tasty treats in no time! What types of treats are you shipping to your customers? Let us know! Tag us on social media with #MyPaperMart. If you were interested in other affordable packaging for your baked goods, check out our website or reach out to us about your packaging needs.
What Baked Goods Are Worst To Ship
Chocolate. With the package traveling between hot and cold environments, anything with chocolate runs the risk of melting and arriving with a chalky color.
Frosting filled cookies. With any type of sandwich cookie, the frosting center may ooze out of the cookie while shipping.
Anything that needs to be refrigerated. Shipping items that need to be refrigerated add an extra layer to the shipping process. Make sure to pack them in a styrofoam container with a frozen gel pack. Then, place the styrofoam container into the shipping container and pack tightly. Its best to ship anything that must be cold overnight.
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When To Ship Cookies For Holiday Delivery
The postal system has been functioning at holiday levels since the pandemic began, and will undoubtedly ramp up as the days continue. Canada Post advises sending national packages by December 9 via Regular Parcel service and all the way up to December 21 for Priority. The safest bet is to send perishables sooner than later, and choose the fastest method that is financially sensible.
Canada Posts new flat-rate boxes are an if it fits, it ships solution with a stress-free, set fee for packages under 5 kg. They are handled slightly faster than basic service.
All this said, dont fret. Even if its late, however many crumbs are in the box upon arrival, and no matter if nonpareils are in disarray, the gift will be welcomed with cheer. Although the holidays might look differently than pre-pandemic times, there is pleasure in sharing, the appreciation of the giving, and comfort in the enduring taste of tradition.
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Prep To Ship Perishables: Heres What Youll Need
To properly ship your perishables, youâll need:
- Coolant
- Insulated foam container
Coolant
Insulated foam container
Depending on your perishables, you may also need:
- Watertight plastic liner and/or bag
- Packing material, such as packing peanuts
- Absorbent materials, such as pads, cellulose wadding, or paper towels
Watertight plastic liner and/or bag
Packing material, such as packing peanuts
Absorbent materials, such as pads, cellulose wadding, or paper towels
To keep food or other perishables cold or frozen in transit, youâve got three options.
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How To Send Baked Goods In The Mail
If youre sending sturdy baked goods locally, you can put pastries in priority mail. However, overnight shipping is the ideal way to send baked goods to preserve their quality. For fragile or temperature-sensitive items like cheesecakes, overnight shipping isn’t just beneficial, it’s required. Whether youre packaging your goodies for the mail or for shipment, follow our step-by-step instructions for shipping or mailing baked goods.
Think Of Freezing The Items
Freezing baked goods, particularly cakes, goes a long way when shipping them. This helps prevent the goods from crumbling and falling apart in their container. Before sending it off for shipping, you should place the baked goods in the freezer for 12 to 24 hours. This ensures the item will stay moist and fresh upon delivery.
Its also crucial to note that dense baked goods tend to hold their shape better during shipping versus lighter baked goods like sponge cakes. If your product has detailed designs and lots of frosting on it, you should look into transporting the item yourself to ensure its safety.
Also, avoid sending products with frostings made from perishable dairy products in unrefrigerated vehicles. If the goods are not refrigerated in their respective packaging during transport, they can begin to harbor unwanted bacteria and cause foodborne illnesses. If you need to send these products by mail, use dry ice or frozen gel packs to ensure it stays cool and fresh.
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The Sturdier Or Denser The Baked Good The Better
When it comes to cookies, its no surprise that hardier varieties travel the best. Gingerbread and thicker chocolate chip cookies are two examples of sturdier types, says Alex Rush, a co-founder who handles all things packaging and shipping. Additional recommendations include hard cookies, like shortbread and biscotti, and bars, such as brownies and blondies, according to the Kitchn.
Other softer cookies can potentially survive the trip, depending on how well theyre packaged, says Rush, but delicate cookies like sugar, pizzelles, or even thin and crisp chocolate chip cookies are likely to break in the mail, no matter how meticulous the packaging. Cookies with soft fillings also tend not to travel well, according to Jessica Vitak, who, with her family, bakes an average of 4,000 cookies of which approximately 1,000 are mailed out each holiday season. Vitak, an associate professor at the University of Maryland College of Information Studies, says that cookies with elements like caramel can be mailed, but they have to be packed carefully to avoid sticking to each other and causing a mess.
Choose A Shipping Service
You must decide how you want to ship your baked goods. While ground services are less expensive, air delivery services help keep your perishable treats fresh, especially if you’re sending them several states away. You’ll need to weigh your packages because their weight affects shipping fees. Select overnight, next-day, or two-day air shipping to keep temperature-sensitive items edible.
Talk to different carriers customer service representatives and see which team you feel the best working with. The success of your bakerys e-commerce business depends on customers receiving their orders fast and intact. You need to have a good working relationship with your shipping company.
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Ship Your Perishables Fast
For best results, plan for a maximum transit time of 30 hours. UPS Next Day Air® service is recommended, though UPS 2nd Day Air® shipping may be suitable for foods that require minimal temperature control. Ship early enough in the week so that your package will not sit over a weekend.
Depending on what foods you are shipping and the size of the container, flat rate shipping using UPS 2nd Day Air® may be an option. Find out more about how UPS Simple Rate might work for you.
Pad And Pack To Minimize Movement
Avoid broken cookies, bruised fruit and banged up filets by filling extra space in your package with padding. Use materials like bubble wrap and packing peanuts to provide at least 2 to 3 inches of protection around your food. If there is extra space remaining in your foam cooler, add some bubble wrap to stabilize your goods.
Wrap tins and other food containers with ample bubble wrap and stabilize them in the center of your shipping box at least 2 inches from the outer walls. Soft foam inserts with customizable openings are an excellent option for items like fruit and jarred food.
Always pack your perishable foods in a new, sturdy corrugated box. That goes for your foam cooler as well: Always enclose it in a sturdy box. Seal all seams of the box completely on top and bottom with pressure-sensitive packing tape.
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Make Sure The Packaging Is Food
I love to upcycle boxes and vessels for packaging, but remember that anything edible needs to be wrapped in food-safe bags or paper. You dont want to wrap brownies with tissue paper that has dye that could get into the food, for example. Parchment paper and cellophane candy bags are always safe choices. You can put the food-safe packages inside festive bags, boxes, or tins or add flair to the outside of the packages to dress them up.
Consider Par Baking Your Bread For Shipping
Par baking stands for partially baking. To par-bake bread, bake the dough 80% of the way and then freeze the loaf. Quick freezing kills the yeasts future power and creates a stable inside without browning the crust. The customer can finish the bread by baking it for an additional 10-15 minutes when it arrives. This allows the customer to enjoy a truly fresh, perfectly browned, and warm loaf of bread.
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When Mailing Baked Goods Make Sure That:
Packaging Items That Can Melt Thaw Or Contain Liquid
Soggy, leaky boxes do not make sturdy shipping containers – or a good customer experience. Avoid a leaky box by lining the inside of your container with a thick plastic liner. Place an absorbent pad or mat on top of the liner.
In addition to the liner, enclose your items in a watertight plastic bag. If you’re shipping seafood, it’s a good idea to double bag it for extra protection. If you’re shipping live seafood like lobsters, oysters or crabs, leave the bags open so air can get in.
If you’re planning on shipping fruits or vegetables, review how to safely handle mail order foods for rules and guidelines about shipping fruits and vegetables.
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Address Customer Inquiries Swiftly
Shipping issues are never fun to deal with, which is why you should have a plan in place to resolve them quickly and effectively. Although it might not be your responsibility when a package arrives late or gets damaged in transit, it is your job to make sure your customers are happy.
Things go wrong in this world, and its not anyones fault , Hedeman explains. Ask yourself if its more important to lose a bit of money on this orderbut keep the customer for lifeor if youd rather keep their money and tell them it wasnt your fault and your hands are tied. You may keep the money, but youll lose the customer, he says. And theyll be sure to tell all their friends about the experience they had with you.
If a delivery fails to meet your customers expectations, you should go above and beyond to course-correct. Offer a refund, reshipment, or discount on a future order to demonstrate to your customer that you take their satisfaction seriously. Then, work out the logistical issues with your shipping carrier to prevent a similar problem from happening in the future.
Tips For Shipping Baked Goods At The Holidays
Receiving a care package from family members during the holiday season makes those who cant be close to the family feel a little closer. Who wouldnt be happy to open a box and see grandmas special sugar cookies inside? Its one of the easiest ways to share the joy.
But, making sure the baked goods arrive fresh and in one piece is just as important as making the actual recipe. Follow these tips on shipping baked goods and the delicious treats will arrive fresh and in one piece.
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Tasty Tips For Shipping Pies And Pastries
Tips for making sure baked goods make it to their destination safe, delicious and ready to eat.
Whether you have an eCommerce business, own a bakery, or just want to ship pie or other baked goodies to a loved one for a birthday or holiday, packaging and putting perishable items in the mail can leave you asking many questions. What if it is crushed? What if it goes stale? What if it is ruined by scorching summer or freezing winter temperatures?
Here are some practical tips for packing and sending pies and other baked treats.
10 pie-shipping tips
1. Let it cool
Before packing and shipping a pie, it needs to reach room temperature. In other words, a pie should never ever go from the oven to the mail, and unless youre shipping it frozen, it shouldnt go out ice-cold either.
2. Choose the right-sized box
The perfect box for shipping a pie is thick, sturdy, and big enough to fit a pie without being so big that the pie can jostle around and get damaged. Opt for a package made of 1.5-inch-thick insulated foam walls that can be fit inside a slightly larger corrugated cardboard box.
3. Wrap baked goods
4. Package baked goods separately
Shipping multiple pies or a pie and some cookies? Keep them separate from each other. Moisture from more buttery treats may affect firmer items and can also result in everything tasting the same, which the recipient wont appreciate.
5. Use cushion
6. Line the box
7. Consider the temperature
Heres the rule of thumb:
8. Get it there fast
How To Keep Baked Goods Fresh For Shipping
To keep your baked goods fresh for shipping, bake and ship your treats on the same day. Make sure your baked goods are completely cool before you package them. If youre sending shipping-friendly treats, Priority Mail will usually get your goodies to your customers on time. However, for dairy-laden, frosted, or heat-sensitive sweets, youll need to select next-day delivery.
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Wrap Baked Goods To Create An Airtight Seal
It doesn’t matter how flawless those fondant flowers are if the cake itself is less than fresh. Seal in that just-baked freshness with plastic wrap. Use shrink wrap for sturdy goodies like Bundt cakes and pies, and wrap plastic around more delicate cakes by hand. Freezing cupcakes and intricate iced cakes can also help them to hold up in transit.
Place cupcakes in a holder with individual spaces and press a candy stick into each cupcake to prevent a potential impact from the lid. Wrap cookies individually in shrink bags or heat-sealed plastic for professional-looking presentation. Pack them snugly in a tin or other sturdy container.
Wrap cupcake holders, tins and other containers in plastic to make them airtight, or seal all edges with sturdy tape. This will help keep the freshness in and unwanted heat and moisture out.
Pro Tip: If youre shipping macarons, the meringue-based cookie with a soft sandwich filling, or similarly delicate treats, cut small squares of bubble wrap and add a layer of cushioning between each of the macarons when packing them inside your container. This extra step will not only preserve freshness but help prevent the fragile confections from smushing against one another in transit.
How To Ship A Cake
Unfrosted cakes, coffee cakes, Bundt cakes, and pound cakes are the best candidates for shipping. These cakes freeze and defrost well, so shipping them frozen is a great way to preserve product freshness. Frosted cakes are harder to ship than other baked goods, but it is possible with the right tools and techniques.
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To Retain The Most Freshness Use Priority Mail Express
This goes without saying, but getting your package to your recipient the fastest way possible is the best way to ensure your cookies and baked goods keep their freshness. USPS Priority Mail Express is the Postal Services fastest shipping service, with overnight delivery to most urban destinations, and 2-day delivery to and from rural locations. Its much more expensive than Priority Mail Cubic , but itll get your goods to your recipients much faster. Plus, if your package arrives after the guaranteed delivery time, its super easy to get a full refund for the cost of your postage!