While strawberries are one of the most popular fruits around, they are also highly perishable. When shipping these sweet-tangy fruits, proper packing must be considered as they bruise very easily. They are also highly susceptible in extreme temperature changes and should be shipped in constant 31 degrees F to prevent rotting or freezing damage.
Here are the 5 tips on how to properly pack and ship fresh strawberries.
1. Sort the strawberries and remove fruits that have bruises or too ripe. Injured and fruits that are too ripe rot very easily and could affect good ones in the batch.
2. Carefully arrange the strawberries in trays with air tight lid, making sure that they are not too cramped in the container to prevent bruising. Close the lid.
3. Place the sealed trays in an insulated shipping box together with a frozen gel pack or cold pack to keep the ideal temperature for the strawberries. Avoid using ice as it can cause leaks and damage the package.
4. If there are spaces between the box and the trays, fill them with packing materials such as packing peanuts and crumpled paper. This will prevent the container and cold packs from shifting during transport.
5. Close and seal the package with tape.
6. Lastly, address and label the package and take to your local post office or shipping company.Use via overnight shipping or next day delivery to ensure the strawberries will arrive at their freshest.