Anyone mailed fresh food before?

[Ripley]

We picked a gallon of blueberries at my CSA and I made blueberry jam with some of them. I didn't "can" the jam ...it's fresh. I'd like to ship some to family out of state and I'm sure Fed Ex will oblige. But I'm wondering if this jam will arrive safe to eat if it's shipped without ice (overnight)?

Should I buy some of those "ice bags" that you freeze and put around the jam, or do you think it will arrive safe enough to eat within 24 hours? And where the heck do you buy those "ice bags?"

Thanks for any help...

[trotsky]

1. Head down to your local grocery store.

Ask for some dry ice. It's what they ship frozen foods with, and there's usually plenty left over. It's frozen carbon dioxide, so as it "melts" it just turns into gas. No fuss, no muss. Pack it up in a tough styrofoam container and you're set.

[Ripley]

2. Thanks...

I worked with that stuff before in an art performance piece! What fun!

I don't know if I can find that round here, but I'll look into it.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. If you can't find it at the grocery store

you can sometimes find it at places that sell oxygen, etc... 'industrial gases'

[Ducks In A Row]

5. tried it once

it wasn't a pretty sight. won't try it again

[Donkeyboy75]

4. You may also be able to find it at ice cream parlors.

A couple of them near my home had dry ice when I was younger...