Will hard candy melt in the mail?
Hard candies– especially those that are individually wrapped like peppermints, strawberry buds, fruit drops, sour balls, and Jawbreakers— should keep exceptionally well and not create a mess in your care package. Other sugary candies like Lick-n-Dips and Pixie Sticks should not melt either…
A Guide to Shipping Chocolate
While the winter months are long and cold, they do have positive implications when it comes to shipping chocolate. Colder weather means colder shipping temperatures, which makes it easier and cheaper to prevent chocolate from melting while in transit.
Wrap the chocolate you want to ship in cling film. Put the chocolate in a cooler box. Add cooling agents like gel ice packs or dry ice at the bottom of the box. Place the cooling box into a larger cardboard box and fill all the empty spaces.
Temperature: Chocolate begins to melt at around 72 degrees. At this temperature, the chocolate won't turn into a liquid, but the finish will be vulnerable to fingerprints, smudges, and rough handling in the mail. Any temperature above 72 degrees is not safe to mail.
Creating layers between your ice pack and chocolates can help reduce the transfer of heat through your container walls. Simply cover your chocolate package with a protective layer of loose fill cushioning and add an ice pack double wrapped in a plastic bag (at least 2-mil).
If you're worried your chocolate might melt during transit, then throwing some cooling materials into your box like gel packs and insulated styrofoam will do the trick.
Chocolates, cookies, hard candies and homemade sweets, such as pralines and toffee, are safe to send either cold or at room temperature. Condiments, including hot sauce and seasonings, also are safe for mailing.
- Ice gel - to ensure your product stays cold in the package, use ice gel or cold packs. ...
- Cover the outer packaging with masking tape - to influence the effect of ambient temperature, cover the corners and edges of the box with tape so that your packaging box is really tight.
Place a cold source, like dry ice or frozen gel packs, inside an insulated container and place the corrugated box containing the candy on top. Cover the container with its lid, insert it into a thick polyethylene film and secure it. Address the package to the recipient.
Your best bet is any baked good that is sturdy like cookies, pound cakes, cupcakes (ideally without frosting), brownies, breads without yeast, muffins, and bars. Fortunately, these items can withstand a day or two without refrigeration.
Is it OK to send chocolate in the mail?
First, the chocolate needs to be wrapped in something cushy, like bubble wrap (which we hope always gets reused and recycled), to give it protection for the inevitable bumps and bruises the package will endure in transit. Second, the bubble-wrapped chocolate must go in a stiff cardboard box.
Keep your chocolates in a wine cooler before shipping them.
Shipping chocolate requires careful temperature planning because cold induces sugar bloom and warmth melts chocolate. To address these dual challenges, many chocolatiers store their chocolates in wine refrigerators to cool them down prior to shipping them.

Most candy can't be sent in the mail due to its different sizes and weights, but you can ship candy with the US Postal Service! If you're thinking of sending some candy through the mail, think again.
The melting point of chocolate falls between 86°F and 90°F. This is significantly lower than the average temperature of the human body, which is 98.6°F so the heat from your hand raises the temperature of the chocolate and causes it to melt.
After placing in a box, put the chocolate in an insulated box liner that effectively controls the temperature for over 48 hours. While using an insulated box liner, refrigerated cold packs may also be used to keep the goods cool for longer periods.
Chocolate doesn't melt easily. Airports usually have air conditioning, the cargo hold where your luggage is kept is pressurized and climate-controlled just like the place where the passengers stay in a plane.
Cakes and candies: pack compactly in tins. Candies should be placed in cups or layered on cushioned papers. Make sure there is no headroom or the confections may crack or crush. Bottles of oils or vinegars or jars of chutney, sauces or jam: Before packing, make sure bottles are tightly sealed and packed in sturdy jars.
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 and bar cookies are also good candidates for mailing. Perishable foods are not safe to mail.
You'll need to keep these mailings under 13 ounces for the USPS to deliver, and you'll need to write the address clearly on the box to ensure it reaches your recipient, but you can mail boxes of candy with the right postage.
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Time to Send Those Holiday Packages!
- Liquor.
- Ammunition.
- Explosives.
- Mercury (including items which contain mercury such as thermometers)
- Gasoline.
What things Cannot be sent through the mail?
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You can't send these items in the U.S. mail:
- Air Bags.
- Ammunition.
- Explosives.
- Gasoline.
- Marijuana (medical or otherwise); hemp/CBD is allowed, but restricted.
- Insulated Shipping Kits. ...
- Insulated Bubble Box Liners. ...
- Insulated Bubble Rolls. ...
- Insulated Bubble Mailers. ...
- Insulated Cold Packs. ...
- Cold Temperature Tape.
Gel packs and dry ice are the best options for keeping your food cool in transit. In general, use dry ice for ice cream and other foods you want to keep frozen, and gel packs to keep food between 32 and 60 degrees F.
That's not to say they won't be sturdy enough to hold up to shipping, but the chocolate may melt and smear in transit – especially to hot climates! Cookies topped with soft frostings and icings won't cut it because they'll melt or get smooshed.
For cookies, fudge, dessert bars, and candies that have a tendency to stick to each other I recommend either wrapping them individually in plastic wrap or layering them with pieces of wax paper in between each. For nuts and popcorn, choose a sturdy airtight container.
Invest In Insulated Box Liners
Our SureTemp double-bubble insulated box liners protect against heat and cold. They are lightweight and easy to install. These units can go on the inside or outside of receptacles, and they are designed to fit standard UPS, USPS, or FedEx boxes.
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).
If you're shipping your brownies to an arid environment, wrap each brownie in plastic wrap to protect them from dry heat. Place the tightly wrapped brownies in the freezer. Frozen brownies are firmer and hold their form in transit, and they stay fresher during transport. Box the brownies.
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Brownies Shelf Life.
Most nonperishable food items are mailable domestically if properly packaged.
How do you ship a meltable item?
For example, using a carton that's at least 2 or 3 times the size of your meltable product may help keep heat away from the goods inside the box. Packing it with some insulated mylar bubble wraps (reflective insulating material) or adding in ice gels packs could also provide a bit of a heat barrier.
Is Mail X-Rayed? Some of the mail that is sent through the United States Postal Service will pass through an X-Ray machine. There are no specific guidelines as to what may or may not be x-rayed, though mail sent to or through larger cities is likely to pass through an X-Ray machine.
Licorice fairs well in the summer heat and won't melt away like chocolate will because the candy is firmer and contains salt, which helps it keep its shape for a longer period of time. Pan candy. Pan candy may feel more like retro candy, but it does hold up well in the summer heat.
Do Candy Melts Expire? Though they will last a while if stored properly, Candy Melts are best used within 18 months of the date they were made. Each package contains a stamped series of numbers and letters to help mark the date they were packaged.
However, most commercially manufactured chocolate has a melting point between 16-‐37 °C — all slightly below that of body temperature (37 °C). It can therefore be stated that ALL chocolates will melt when put in the mouth and the MAJORITY will melt when held in the hand.
If you're sending a gift that contains food items like a chocolate bar or pieces of fudge, you might want to reconsider. These items are almost guaranteed to melt, especially if sent during warmer times of the year. Instead, send chocolate chip cookies, brownies, or even hot cocoa mix.
Because of its low melting point, delivering chocolates should be swift. Many couriers would suggest that chocolates are only to be shipped overnight or the next day. Opt for same-day delivery if possible, as there would be fewer chances for the confectionery to melt during shipping.
Refrigerated, the chocolate can be kept for a few months. Whether it makes up all or just a portion of the chocolate you need, leftovers work well in any recipe in which the chocolate will eventually be subjected to some heat, like baked goods or stovetop custards.
As long as your box or envelope is less than 0.5 feet in cubic volume, you can load it up with up to 20 pounds of candy, and the price to ship with Priority Mail Cubic won't change at all!
Individually wrap the candies
Wrapping each candy in cellophane or candy wrapping (moisture-proof wax paper sold on Amazon) will protect them from air exposure and, therefore, from moisture. For long-term storage, it's imperative that your packaging isn't permeable to air vapor.
How do you pack candy for mailing?
Place a cold source, like dry ice or frozen gel packs, inside an insulated container and place the corrugated box containing the candy on top. Cover the container with its lid, insert it into a thick polyethylene film and secure it. Address the package to the recipient.
You can ship baked goods. If packaged well and sent via priority mail or overnight shipping, most baked goods will keep their freshness and form. It is best to freeze baked goods before shipping them. Sturdy items such as quick bread, unfrosted cakes, fruit/nut pies, cookies, and bars are the best-baked goods to ship.
Yes! You can send chocolate and other foods domestically in the post, as long as it's not perishable. That means it's not fresh or won't spoil for a long time.
- Alcoholic beverages*
- Animal products, non-domesticated (e.g. mother of pearl inlay, snakeskin watchband)
- Articles of unusual value.
- Biological substances, Category B and exempt human or animal specimens.
- Dangerous goods.
- Electronic cigarettes.
- Firearms and weapons.
- Furs.
Foil wrappers are used to help preserve the freshness and taste of different candies. They are commonly seen wrapped around various chocolates and other types of delicious treats. Foil wrappers are usually supplied in various sizes and colors, plus they can be customized with printing for your application.
If the packaging has been opened, soft candies should be kept in a covered candy dish, away from heat and light at room temperature (about 70 degrees). Stored in this manner, the candy should last six to nine months. If the packaging has not been opened, soft sweets will last approximately twelve months.
Cakes and candies: pack compactly in tins. Candies should be placed in cups or layered on cushioned papers. Make sure there is no headroom or the confections may crack or crush. Bottles of oils or vinegars or jars of chutney, sauces or jam: Before packing, make sure bottles are tightly sealed and packed in sturdy jars.