Best way to pack fresh nopalitos for shipping?!
Best way to pack fresh nopalitos for shipping?
I have an online friend who lives in a northern U.S. state who can't find authentic mexican foods in the grocery stores there. I'm sending him a package of dry spices to cook with, and I thought I'd try sending him some fresh nopalitos (tender young cactus pads) IF I can figure out how to pack them so they'll still be fresh upon arrival. Would they hold up well enough for the few days they would take to arrive without refrigeration? Or would I need to include an ice pack? I don't want to add an ice pack if it isn't necessary, in order to keep my S&H costs down.
I've seen the things lying on the ground where they've broken off the plant, and they still look the same a week or more later..no wilting or signs of decay, in fact they often take root where they've fallen off....so, any ideas?
Answers:
What I would do is to pack them into individual ziploc freezer bags and remove as much air as you can (you can do this by sealing the bag almost all the way shut, except for an opening just big enough for a drinking straw to fit into. Suck all the air from the bag(s) through the straw and as you pull the straw out, seal the opening- this will give you a 'vacuum' seal). Pack them carefully into a sturdy box, seal the box and ship it overnight with FedEx or USPS.They should be fine.
Just look at the food market. They are on the produce racks. Many are not even cooled. Do a test shippment , one leaf pad to see how it works. If that works go for it.
I live in Texas and I ship nopalitos every lent season to my aunts in Jersey. I place them in large ziploc bags and freeze them the night before shipping. Then place them in a insulated box and ship them Fed-X. They get there within a day or two and by then they are just perfect and ready to prepare.