The Absolute Best Way To Package And Ship Pie

Although we are now officially in post-pandemic times, the season of pie-making, which is also the season of colds and flus, can still be easily soured by canceled gatherings and postponed plans due to sickness. Arguably, there's nothing worse than putting a lot of love — and even more effort — into a coveted pie recipe only to be informed that you won't need to worry about dad's favorite pecan pie after all.

Whatever the reason is for not getting to be with someone in person, it doesn't mean your delectable baked goods need to be pushed to the side. Many people worry that sending food in the mail leaves room for staleness or damage, which are both valid concerns when it comes to shipping edible items, but there's a way to ensure that a pie can arrive safely via postal service, which boils down to the ways it's packed and shipped. The secret is simple: freeze the pie.

By mailing a pie that's frozen, you're maintaining not only the freshness of the pie but also giving it a durable and rigid firmness to protect against external damages. To keep the pie frozen for as long as possible, you'll want to cover the pastry in plastic wrap and surround it with ice packs to maintain that frozen state while it's in the box. In fact, dry ice is an even better choice, as it will keep the pie frozen for longer periods.

Once your pie is covered in plastic wrap, frozen, and ready to be packaged, you'll need to gather the dry ice packs, bubble wrap and shipping peanuts, a pie box, a shipping box, and shipping tape. Placing your pie inside of a pie box before adding it to the shipping box will provide a much-needed layer of extra protection, namely because pie boxes are designed to be strong and provide optimal storage. Once the pie is secured in the pie box, now is the time to do any decorating you'd like to add — gift wrap, sprigs of herbs or flowers, a written message, and twine or ribbon are all elegant touches to elevate the look.

Next, you'll cushion the pie — along with the dry ice packs — in bubble wrap before setting it in the shipping box. Once it's in the shipping box, you need to minimize any movement by encasing it in shipping peanuts. Seal the box with shipping tape and cover any gaps to restrict airflow to the inside. Finally, make sure to choose overnight shipping at the post office, which will guarantee that your pie arrives as fresh and unscathed as possible.