A basket of fresh fruits is a great gift for any occasion such as birthdays, anniversaries and graduations. It also makes a good get-well-soon or congratulations-to-the-new-baby present. But since fruits are highly perishable, a fruit basket must be properly packed before shipping to ensure that the contents remain fresh and undamaged. Here are some tips on how to pack and ship a fresh fruit basket.
1. When sending out a fruit basket, consider the kinds of fruits to include as well as the length of time it will take to reach its destination.
2. Remember that some fruits ripen and spoil easily than others so it is a good idea to only pick fruits that can stay fresh longer.
3. Choosing fruits that are underripe or would take a few more days to fully ripen can also ensure that they will arrive in good condition.
4. Also avoid fruits that would require refrigeration such as strawberries and other berries unless you opt to send them via reefer freight.
5. Choose a sturdy basket that can hold all the fruits. Line its bottom with sufficient straw packing material to provide cushion.
6. Arrange the fruits such that they are well packed but not squishing each other.
7. Be creative and make sure that the fruits don’t look like you just dump them all into the basket.
8. When done, wrap the entire fruit arrangement in shrink wrap and use a blow drier to shrink and seal the package.
9. Aside from protection against the elements, the shrink wrap will also help make the arrangement sturdy and keep the fruits in place.
10. Shrink wraps are available in most craft supply stores.
11. Get a shipping box that can accommodate the basket and provides some space for packaging materials such as bubble wrap, packing peanuts and shredded cardboard.
12. Layer the bottom of the box with packaging materials and place the basket in the center of the box.
13. Fill the sides and top of the box with more packaging materials.
14. Make sure that there will be no empty spaces that will make the arrangement shift inside the box.
15. Close the box and seal with packaging tape.
16. Don’t forget to tape the bottom of the box as well for added support.
17. Address and attach labels such as “Perishable” and “Handle with Care.”
Take the package to your local shipping company and send using the quickest option possible such as overnight or next day delivery to ensure the arrangement gets to your recipient fresh.