"Why is our mail sticky and ginger-scented?"

November 25, 2009 7:46 AM

Is it feasible to mail caramels? Or will the recipient end up with a weird melty lump?

I want to mail some caramels (these ones, recipe found on askmefi!) to Florida (from DC) as a thank you, but I'm worried that the temperature change would cause some horrible unforeseen reaction and result in some really nasty mail.

Do you have any experience in mailing caramel? How did you do it?

Thanks!

posted by troika to Food & Drink (9 answers total)

I'm not sure about the consistency of those particular caramels, but having had caramels around the house for a number of years growing up, I would think that if they were individually wrapped and in a box (as opposed to in an envelope) they would be ok. Although I'm not from Florida... if they sit on a doorstep in the sun for a while they could very well end up in exciting new shapes. (think snickers bar in the back seat of your car) Put them in a ziplock bag or two and hope for the best.

Also, at first glance I thought your questions was "Is it possible to milk camels?"
posted by ropeladder at 7:53 AM on November 25, 2009

Individually wrap them in rectangles of wax paper, twisting the ends. I'd think if there's any time of year you could do it, this would be it. Even if they deform a bit, the paper should give them some shape for when they cool.
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:59 AM on November 25, 2009

Not experienced, just guessing, but what if you wrap them individually, then place them in a box which has some type of dividers already built into it - say an egg carton, or a tackle-box or jewelry-box or an old Whitman's Sampler box with a divided insert? Look around a dollar store for ideas.

Even if you put 2-4 caramels in each section (depending on size), I think that would give them an extra layer of protection if they do melt. They would only be in medium-sized weird melty lumps, instead of a whole package all melted together.
posted by CathyG at 8:08 AM on November 25, 2009

I ordered some caramels from an Etsy seller in late August - they shipped from Brooklyn to DC with no issues at all - they were individually wrapped and placed in a larger bag. I think you'll be fine if they don't sit in the recipient's mailbox for hours and hours.
posted by ersatzkat at 8:11 AM on November 25, 2009

Various family members have sent me homemade caramels in the past. Individual wrapping in wax paper, as fiercecupcake suggests, works pretty well.
posted by paulg at 8:43 AM on November 25, 2009

I just got a box of chocolate-dipped caramels in the mail. My mom (or my big sister?) put them into a cleaned-up margarine container. A couple of pieces of waxed paper were in there, too; I think they'd been vertical dividers between stacked layers of candy, but the box probably got shaken enough to disturb them. Anyway, they appeared unmelted. (And tasted delicious!)

In the summer, our mailed treats are usually individually wrapped and then stuck in a ziploc bag.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:19 AM on November 25, 2009

In addition to the above, you could add a note suggesting that the receiver put the caramels in the freezer for an hour (or leave them in the fridge).
posted by Countess Elena at 9:27 AM on November 25, 2009

Wrap them securely in waxed paper like suggested above, and they should be fine. Make sure your waxed paper ends overlap by a fair margin so it wouldn't ooze out the cracks. I shipped a bunch of homemade caramels last year like that in a box (and a set of pecan turtles rolled up in waxed paper and in a Ziploc bag) and they made it fine to their multiple destinations.
posted by bookdragoness at 9:54 AM on November 25, 2009

I've gotten apple pies and fudge sent in the mail coast to coast to me from my Dad, so I'd think caramels should be fine, especially DC to Florida.
posted by pcward at 10:01 AM on November 25, 2009