Shipping Baked Goods

Choose baked goods that are moist, firm and hard—not brittle. These travel well and should arrive whole, not in crumbs. Durable foods that ship well include pound cakes, unfrosted cakes, breads, (not yeast breads), muffins, flavored nuts, candies (such as fudge), and cookies (drop cookies, like chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin, or bar cookies, such as brownies).

Use two containers: one for your baked goods and one as the shipping container.

Wrap cookies individually or place back-to-back and wrap loosely as a pair in plastic wrap or zip-lock plastic bags. To keep cookies from breaking, put a layer of crumpled wax paper on the bottom of the food tin or box, then the cookies, then another layer of crumpled wax paper on top.

Pound cakes, loaf breads, brownies and fudge ship better when they are left in their disposable aluminum pans. Cover the food with wax paper or seal in plastic wrap, place the pan in a plastic bag and pack in a cushioned food box.

Once all individual items are tightly sealed in a food container, select a sturdy cardboard box for shipping. Avoid using a previously mailed box. Boxes weaken during transit, and may not withstand a second trip. The box should be large enough to allow plenty of cushioning material to be packed on all sides of the food box.

Place a cushion of crumpled newspaper, paper towels, bubble-wrap, or Styrofoam pellets on the bottom of the shipping box, then add the containers of food. Place heavier items at the bottom. Be sure there is ample space between each item, with packing material surrounding each container on all sides. Finish packing with paper. Shake the box down and add more crumpled paper to be sure there is no headspace left unpacked. This will assure the contents will not shift while in transit. Securely close the box and label it “perishable.”