Mailing Food Gifts

Follow these tips to ensure your goodies arrive intact:

•  Cool off. Allow any baked goods to cool completely before packaging to prevent moisture from condensing inside the package.

•  Wrap for freshness. Wrap quick breads or cakes in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, and seal inside a zip-top plastic bag. Keep quick breads, brownies, or bar cookies in the pan they baked in, and wrap with plastic wrap and foil; if you can, seal the pan inside a zip-top plastic bag. Place cookies or spiced nuts directly into a zip-top plastic bag.

•  Cushion the food. Place food into one container (a zip-top plastic bag or metal tin lined with tissue paper, for example), and place inside a larger box lined on all sides with crumpled tissue paper, bubble wrap, or other packaging material.