Shipping (mailing) Food safely???

[Bearcarver]

With the Christmas gift exchange coming up, this might be a good time for some Learned Member to Do a post listing what foods are safe to ship, and how to ship various things to make them safe or keep them safe to eat.
I don't intend to actually send a Food, but I always wondered a lot about it, in case I did.

Chef JimmyJ ???
Any others well versed in this subject???

Bear

 

[gmc2003]

I've overnighted smoked cheese, and homemade jam to my daughter in Georgia. No issues.

Chris

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

Overnight and in some cases dry ice work well to keep the temp down. It’ll last long enough if you properly insulate your package. It’s an added expense and headache so I’ve rarely done it.

Scott

 

[kit s]

Well what I do is ship all my stuff frozen in insulated boxes made for that purpose. I get mine from https://www.zoro.com
Then I always mail on a Monday or Tuesday morning so that it will hopefully reach its destination before the weekend (don't like the idea of it sitting in their warehouse until the following week). I also ask for 3 day shipping. Haven't had a problem so far and it not still frozen the stuff inside has always been really cold.
If I have room put in ic e packs to. Don't use dry ice as USPS will not but UPS will, but they do cost more.
Kit

 

[SonnyE]

I believe Omaha Steaks ships with dry ice in a Styrofoam container.
But that is raw meat, generally.
I've seen the containers.
But Darn, they were always empty. :(

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

I have a few people wanting me to send them some smoked cheese, but I hate to spend more on the shipping than the cheese.

 

[johnmeyer]

I haven't shipped much, but I sure have received a lot of food over the years. Most arrive in Styrofoam containers which are kept cool using either dry ice or else some really good cold packs. These cold packs have more "heat capacity" than regular ice and, of course, don't turn into water and present a leak hazard.

Using these techniques, most items that started out frozen arrive frozen.

If I were to be the shipper instead of the customer, I'd use the same materials. In addition, I'd use the coldest freezer I have (-10 degrees F) and keep the item in that for at least 36 hours to make sure it would be frozen all the way. To give you some idea of how long something can stay frozen when it starts out at -10, I pulled out 2 pounds of frozen chicken thighs seven hours ago and put them on the counter. They are still hard to the touch. If I had put them in an insulating container with cold packs or dry ice, I'm sure they'd be frozen for at least two days.

P.S. I just saw the post about Omaha steaks. I've had a few of these sent to me over the years and they are, by far, the worst meat I've ever had. I never throw anything out, but I tossed the last set.

 

[bregent]

P.S. I just saw the post about Omaha steaks. I've had a few of these sent to me over the years and they are, by far, the worst meat I've ever had. I never throw anything out, but I tossed the last set.

I've had worse, but at best they're just your average supermarket beef - at 6-8 times the price. The Styrofoam boxes are more valuable than the meat inside them.

 

[SonnyE]

I haven't shipped much, but I sure have received a lot of food over the years. Most arrive in Styrofoam containers which are kept cool using either dry ice or else some really good cold packs. These cold packs have more "heat capacity" than regular ice and, of course, don't turn into water and present a leak hazard.

Using these techniques, most items that started out frozen arrive frozen.

If I were to be the shipper instead of the customer, I'd use the same materials. In addition, I'd use the coldest freezer I have (-10 degrees F) and keep the item in that for at least 36 hours to make sure it would be frozen all the way. To give you some idea of how long something can stay frozen when it starts out at -10, I pulled out 2 pounds of chicken thighs seven hours ago and put them on the counter. They are still hard to the touch. If I had put them in an insulating container with cold packs or dry ice, I'm sure they'd be frozen for at least two days.

P.S. I just saw the post about Omaha steaks. I've had a few of these sent to me over the years and they are, by far, the worst meat I've ever had. I never throw anything out, but I tossed the last set.

I've had worse, but at best they're just your average supermarket beef - at 6-8 times the price. The Styrofoam boxes are more valuable than the meat inside them.

Like I said, all I've ever seen was the empty container.

My BIL and SIL up North get their insulin in nice containers with reusable freezer cold packs.
He keeps them in the freezer of his garage (beer) fridge and gave us some for our travel ice box for water and sodas.
Still got them.

 

[InThePittBBQ]

I ship quite a bit of brisket and sausage this time of year around the holidays in Polar Tech insulated cartons with dry ice everything I send out is smoked and stored frozen in vac wrap.

For any shipments that will typically use air freight there is a 5 pound limit on dry ice in the container and you also need to affix a class 9 UN 1845 label to the carton to indicate the package holds dry ice.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Good thought Bear safety as always comes first.

Warren

 

[chef jimmyj]

The How, the guys above covered. The What? Pretty simple, anything you have to keep refrigerated, bacon, ham, high moisture sausage cured or not, has to be frozen and kept frozen. Anything preserved, dry cured meats and sausages, Smoked cheese, aka preserved milk, and jerky, can be wrapped and shipped by normal means...JJ

 

[Bearcarver]

Thanks for all the Input everyone!!

I definitely know more than I did !!

Bear

 

[chopsaw]

Thanks for all the Input everyone!!

I definitely know more than I did !!

Bear

I'll be watchin the mail box for some prime rib .

 

[Bearcarver]

I'll be watchin the mail box for some prime rib .

LOL---I only have one Small on left, and I have a Very Important Occasion coming up in Dec.

Bear