Baked goodies can be a heart warming gift. They can also be a good source of extra income among stay-at-home moms. However, the highly perishable nature of these food items has made many home bakers hesitant to ship their goodies to family, friends or customers from far away places for fear that the they might arrive stale, moldy or simply inedible.
When sending baked goods, the items must be properly packed and shipped promptly. Nobody wants to receive chocolate chips cookies that have turned into a heap of crumbs or a pound cake covered in mold. Here are a few tips and tricks on how to properly pack and ship baked goods to ensure they arrive fresh and in the best condition.
Glazed or frosted cakes and pastries may look more festive and appropriate for celebrations but you may want to stay away from them when shipping. Icing and glazes can melt or make the cake or pastry soggy. If you insist that your baked goods must come with its special frosting, consider placing it in a separate container.
Oatmeal cookies and sugar cookies are sturdy and have longer shelf life than other types of cookies making them perfect for shipping. Avoid shipping chocolate chip cookies during hot months.
Make sure that the goods have completely cooled down before packing them. Pack them in airtight containers or in ziploc bags to seal in freshness and prevent the treats from going stale. Layer your treats with pieces of wax paper or parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together.
Use piece of wax paper, parchment paper or even paper towels to fill in any gaps between your treats and the sides of your container, so that nothing moves around during transit.
Wrap the container in bubble wrap and place inside a larger mailing box. Fill in the space around the baked goods’ container with crumpled packing paper, bubble wrap or some other filler, to prevent the contents of the box from moving around. The fillers will also provide some cushioning to protect the baked goods from impact.
Whether using a commercial carrier or the post office, choose an express or priority shipping method that will get your package in its destination in 2-3 days. This way, your carefully packed baked goodies will arrive as fresh and tasty as possible. If you choose regular shipping, try to select treats that will keep for a longer period of time in case shipping takes a few extra days.
When shipping something very perishable, choose overnight or one-day shipping and consider using a thick Styrofoam container to provide insulation to your items, in addition to providing structural support to your box.