Kitchen Helpful Hints

Shipping Cookies and Candy

Materials needed:
Your home-baked cookies and candy
A sturdy cardboard box or empty coffee can
Aluminum foil or plastic food wrap
Paper towels or plastic bubble wrap
Tape: freezer, plastic or masking
Brown mailing paper

Bar, drop or fruit cookies can best withstand mailing; tender, fragile cookies are apt to crumble when mailed. Line a heavy cardboard box, cookie tin or empty coffee can with aluminum foil or plastic food wrap.

Wrap four to six cookies of the same size together in aluminum foil, plastic food wrap or plastic food bags and seal securely with tape; repeat until the container is full.
Place the heaviest cookies at the bottom of the container and layer the wrapped cookies with bubble wrap or crumpled paper towels. Use either of these to line the container. Seal the container with tape.

Put the container (tin, coffee can, etc.) into a sturdy cardboard box. Use bubble wrap or newspaper to protect the container.

Print the mailing address and return address on the package in waterproof ink; mark the package "PERISHABLE FOOD" to encourage quick and careful handling. Choose overnight shipping.

Do not package candies that absorb moisture (caramels, mints, hard candies, toffee) in the same container as those that lose moisture (fudge, fondant, meringues).

Wrap different candy varieties in plastic food wrap and divide layers with waxed paper. Use crumpled or shredded paper towels or plastic bubble wrap inside the container for padding. Seal the container with tape.