Recipe for Transporting Baked Goods

Instructions: In General: Durable foods that ship well include baked goods that are moist and firm or hard, but not brittle. These travel well and should arrive whole, not in crumbs. Examples are pound cakes, cookies, fruitcakes, brownies and fudge.

Obviously, its not a good idea to send perishable foods. If you do, be sure to mark it as so and check with your post office for the best way to ship. Usually the best way is to ship it overnight in a Styrofoam container packed with ice packs or dry ice.

If youre not sure how well a food will ship, test it. Place the food in a container and shake it a few times. If it holds its shape, it should mail well. Place the food in a draft (made by a fan or wind) to see if the food retains moisture well.

Materials: Once youve selected and prepared your holiday food gift, a proper package is a must. Start by putting in a layer of packing material such as newspaper, popcorn or plastic bubble wrap, etc in a sturdy corrugated box. Next, center the gift in the middle of the box. Then overfill the box with cushioning material, making sure theres no air space left in the box.

Boxes: should have two basic lines of defense, an inner gift box, that is well packed in a second, outer heavy corrugated box, suitable for mailing. When choosing a an outer box, make sure its roomy enough to allow plenty of packing material on all sides. Check with your carrier on the sizes that can be sent.

Other good shipping containers include: rigid plastic freezer or refrigerator containers, metal cake boxes and metal canisters. Two, 1-gallon plastic milk jugs can be cut to hold food. Cut the top half off each jug. Wash and air well to remove any odors. Place the wrapped food inside one half; fill any empty spaces with crumpled tissue or unsalted air-popped popcorn. Fit the second jug half over the first like a lid and seal with freezer tape. Place in box to send.

Cushioning materials: recycled Styrofoam, bubble wrap, popcorn (air-popped, with no oil) and eco foam, the environment-friendly cousin of foam peanuts or other packing materials that are safe to use with food. Eco foam is a biodegradable cornstarch product that provides excellent cushioning, however, there are potential problems - its only drawback is that it melts when wet, so dont use it to pack any containers that may leak. With popcorn, there have been warnings not to use any type of food as packing material when shipping because it can attract insects. It also can absorb exhaust fumes from cargo holds and other areas the package may pass through in transit. Sealing popcorn in zipper-lock bags to use as padding may be a safe alternative. Use only air-popped popcorn that contains no salt or oil.

Styrofoam and ice packs: Needed when shipping perishable items. It should be placed inside of the outer box or can be sent as is - double check. These items should be shipped overnight. Check with your carrier on the sizes that can be sent.

Moisture absorbers: If you are worried about moisture, there are moisture absorbers available, but be careful that you use those approved for food use and ask whether or not the baking recipe will get too dry if you use them. Go to: http://www.foodsave.net/food_preservation.htm or call 800-276-8466 EST. Another one: http://www.sorbentsystems.com/o2absorbers_2.html or call 323-277-4700 PST.

Baking pans: Most breads, cakes and bar cookies can be baked in a foil or light-weight aluminum pan, or coffee can that also may be used for shipping. If you are going to ship the food in its baking container, follow the directions in the recipe for cooling and removing the food from the pan. When thoroughly cooled, wrap in plastic wrap or foil and return to the cleaned container.

Wrap all foods: in aluminum foil or plastic before placing in shipping containers when drying during shipping is a problem. Wrap small items, like candy and cookies, individually. Small plastic bags are ideal for this. Select a strong cardboard box to mail the food in. Place a cushion of crumbled newspaper, paper towels, styrofoam pellets or unsalted air-popped popcorn in the box and then add the containers of food. Finish packing with paper. Securely close the box and label it "perishable." Check with available mailing services to determine which one best fits your delivery needs.

Mailing tape and address label: use a tape that is strong enough to withstand mailing. A clearly written mailing label is very important.

Select mode of mailing: There are many shipping providers. Some pick up for an added charge. Each has a variety of services available. You can review what is offered, calculate shipping costs, find the nearest location, or locate the customer service telephone number on the Internet.

US Post Office - www.usps.com
United Parcel Services - www.ups.com

Cakes Good choices are fruitcake, pound cake, carrot cake, spice cake, or a fruit-based cake such as applesauce. Pound cake with a pour-on icing is a good choice. The icing not only adds moisture, but also forms a coating to keep the cake moist. Layer cakes usually dont arrive in good shape. You can, however, split a pound cake in half and add icing to it as you would a layer cake. Do not frost a cake before mailing. Instead, include a pack of frosting mix in the package (if it is perishable, check with your post office on how to ship).

1. Place the cake in a container thats only slightly larger than the cake - wrap it first in plastic wrap or foil, which I prefer, and then cushion it in the cake box. Use the same materials used inside the cake box, in the outer one - place cushioning material on the bottom, place cake box on top, and then cushion on all sides. Cushion on the top before sealing with mailing tape; and,

2. Wrap the cooled cake or pie or pan of brownies in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place 2 cardboard cake circles or pieces of cardboard on the top and bottom. The cardboard should extend past the edges of the pan.

Wrap cake box or cake with cardboard circles with foil. Pack in a carton, cushioning it on all sides with paper or other packing material. Seal and send.

Candy: Hard candies, such as peanut brittle and rock-candy, generally ship better than fudge and divinity.

Cookies: Certain cookies tend to ship better than others do.

Dont mail cookies with custard or custard-like fillings or toppings, including Cheesecake Bars or Nanaimo bars. The custard could spoil, making a very unwelcome gift.

Avoid mailing brittle cookies-chewy, soft, drop cookies, bars, or squares will survive best. Bar cookies are a good choice. Most are moist and keep well. Fruit, date or fig bars, brownies and coconut squares are examples. Wrap individually in plastic to preserve each bars shape and moisture.

Other cookies such as butter or sugar cookies (unless they are both thin) and shortbread, biscotti and Spingerle ship well, too. They tend to be fairly sturdy, so you dont have to worry too much about breakage. And since they already have a fairly dry texture, drying out isnt much of an issue.

If youre using cookie cutters to make cut-out, decorated cookies, smaller designs are less likely to break in transit than larger cookies.

Cookies can be shipped individually wrapped, tucked inside of a packing material. Or, pack in a sturdy tin or airtight container:

Wrap Individually: Place two cookies back to back and wrap them loosely as a pair in plastic wrap or cellophane bags. When wrapping chocolate-dipped biscotti, wrap them paired with another chocolate dipped cookie. Have the chocolate side facing one another, with a small piece of waxed paper in between. Then place them in small bags or in plastic wrap. Nestle "the packets" in Styrofoam, real popcorn (air-popped, with no oil) or Eco Foam

Place in Pans: Brownies and fudge ship better when they are left in their metal pans. Cover the bars with wax paper, place the pan in a plastic bag and pack in a cushioned box.

Place in Tins: Choose a box that is appropriate in size to the cookie tin within. This will help keep the tins from shifting and the cookies from breaking. The ideal cushion is 2 to 3 inches of packing material on all sides. When sending cookies in a tin, on the bottom of the container place a piece of bubble wrap, then line the container with parchment paper or cellophane, leaving enough to tuck over the top once the container is fully packed. Place one layer of cookies in the container. Cover with parchment paper. Arrange another layer of cookies, followed with more parchment paper, and continue this layering until the container is full. Tuck the cellophane or parchment paper over the top, then place another piece of bubble wrap on top, and seal your container.

Pack the tin in a box neatly lined with lengths of Bubble Wrap, then fold the Bubble Wrap back into the margins between the tin and box to form a double cushion. Toss a scoop or two of popcorn at the bottom of the box. Set the cookie tin on top, and surround it with more popcorn.

Baked Pies:
Note: A pie which contains perishable items must remain chilled the whole time, the same temperature as your refrigerator.

Room Temperature:
Road Trip: Find a level spot in the vehicle in the trunk, on the floor where it wont slide and fall. If it gets warm it will be delicious upon your arrival. Refrigerate if you want it to keep for several days.

Airplane: Do not check the pie with your luggage!!! Take it as carry-on and carefully put it on the floor under the seat. The pastry is delicate and cannot be tossed about. However, nowadays call the airline ahead to see if you can carry the pies on the plane. Recently, my teenage nephew, Daniel was visiting from Atlanta and they wouldnt let him carry on his favorite snack, a honey-baked ham because it was a security risk - he was bringing it as additional snack food for himself and my four other kids (3 boys and a girl), all pre-teens and teens. (His Aunt Sarah - me - never has enough food on hand -cough ! cough!).

Frozen: Wrap the pie in plastic, then box it. The more pies you pack, the better, because they will act like ice for each other. Again, keep the pies level so that if they do defrost, the juice wont run out. If they defrost, no problem, simply put them in the refrigerator and bake that day, or put in freezer and bake whenever (even 9 months later). If taking on an airplane, call ahead to see if you can take it. If you can, wrap frozen pie in plastic, box it and wrap in more plastic, tin foil, etc. and either put in a suitcase or a box and " check" it; the belly of the airplane is colder than the passenger compartment. I have taken a case of 6 pies in a fitted corrugated box to every friend and relative I visit with NO ICE and label the box "frozen pies" and they always arrive in perfect condition. Just remember to put in the freezer at your destination.

Quick-breads: Ship well. I like to ship mine in an aluminum pan, but its not necessary. Either way wrap your breads in plastic wrap and then foil so they keep well.

USDAs Meat and Poultry Hotline Gives Advice on Sending Food Gifts to U.S. Military

(USDA)

Being home for the holidays will not be possible this year for many members of the American armed forces. The next best thing may be receiving greetings and gifts of food items. The U.S. Department of Agriculture today is providing guidance for safely mailing food gifts to family members and friends serving in the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

"I am sure that in addition to receiving letters from home, our men and women in the armed forces would appreciate food gifts," said Susan Conley, director of Food Safety Education for the USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service. "Its important to mail food gifts that are not perishable, can tolerate a range of temperatures, and wont break with rough handling."

Perishable foods are those that must be kept at 40 F or below to remain safe to eat - meat, poultry, fish, and soft cheeses, for example. These foods cannot be safely left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, much less for a week or more in the mail. Foodborne bacteria that may be present on these foods grow fastest at temperatures above 40 F and can double every 20 minutes. When this happens, someone eating the food can get sick.

Food gifts that can be safely mailed include dried products such as jerky and fruits, shelf-stable canned specialties, and regional condiments such as hot sauces. Homemade cookies, candy, and low-moisture breads like fruitcake and bar cookies are also good candidates for mailing.

As an alternative to homemade gifts, some families may wish to send a military members favorite mail order foods. Shelf-stable "summer sausage," cheeses, cakes, and snacks can be ordered on the Internet or through mail order catalogs. Because of the delivery time and distances between the U.S. and duty stations overseas, do not order any food gifts that must be kept refrigerated.

Conley reminds that "Families and friends must have a specific address for their service members. Mail addressed to Any Serviceman will not be accepted by the U.S. Postal Service."

Food safety specialists at USDAs Meat and Poultry Hotline offer the following advice concerning food gifts for armed forces serving away from home, including those in and near Afghanistan engaged in Operation Enduring Freedom.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOOD GIFTS
Dried beef or poultry such as beef jerky, turkey jerky, or beef slims are safe to mail. Bacteria cant multiply in food preserved by removing moisture.

Dehydrated soups and fruit drink mixes are lightweight and safe to mail. Regional condiments such as hot sauce and Cajun seasonings in packets are useful for spicing up Meals Ready to Eat (MREs).

Canned specialties such as pate, corned beef, shelf-stable hams, anchovies, shrimp, dips, and cracker spreads make nice treats. Recipients should be cautioned not to use any cans that are damaged or swollen. Foods in glass containers should not be mailed because the container can break.

Dense and dry baked goods such as fruitcakes and biscotti are good choices for mailing because they will not become moldy. Other suitable baked goods include commercially-packaged cakes and cookies in airtight tins, dry cookies such as ginger snaps, and specialty crackers.

High-moisture baked goods such as pumpkin bread - while safe at room temperature for a few days - should not be mailed because they will most likely mold before delivery. Fragile foods like delicate cookies wont make the trip intact. When mailing firm cookies and homemade candies, wrap each piece individually and pack items in commercially popped popcorn or foam packing "peanuts" to help cushion the trip. Place the food gifts in a sturdy box and seal it securely with packing tape.

Dried fruits such as raisins and apricots, canned nuts and fruit, and commercially-packaged trail mix need no refrigeration.

Hard candies and firm homemade sweets such as fudge, pralines, and toffee are safe to mail because their high sugar content prevents bacterial growth.

For additional food safety information about meat, poultry, or egg products, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotlines toll-free number 1-800-535-4555; Washington D.C. area (202) 720-3333. The toll-free number for the hearing impaired (TTY) is 1 (800) 256-7072.

The Hotline is staffed by food safety experts, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time. In addition, food safety information is available on the FSIS Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov.