How to Mail Jars of Jam or Jelly (To Avoid Damage)

How to send homemade jam or jelly in the mail is a common question that I hear. Sending anything glass in the mail can be nerve-racking, but I’ve got you covered. Jars of jam or jelly should be mailed just like most fragile items, but how exactly should you send them, so they are protected from getting damaged?

To prevent breakage, the jars should be surrounded by protective material on the sides, top, and bottom. Another way to help avoid damage is if the jars are placed in multiple layers of boxes and bubble wrap. Taking both of these measures would ensure the protection of glass jars of jam or jelly.

Taking these measures should make sure that the jars of jam or jelly stay safe and undamaged. Below we will include ways to ensure that these jars don’t break during shipment, so keep reading to find out how you can send your delicious jam to a loved one.

Step 1: Picking Your Box

When sending a fragile package like jars of jelly or jam, you must choose the perfect box to send it in. The thicker and more sturdy the box, the better.

That being said, you shouldn’t use a box that has already been used previously because it won’t be as sturdy as a brand-new one. The best way to utilize boxes to ensure that your jars don’t break is to package your objects in multiple boxes.

You can do this by first putting your jars in a small box. It would be best if you put each jar in its own box, but whether or not you do so will depend on how much money you want to spend. Doing this allows you to layer as many boxes as you want over the first smaller boxes.

Not only does this provide more cushioning and layers, but it also makes it so that your jars won’t slide or move around during transit. So, multiple boxes will cause the jars to stay in place while being mailed, while also providing layers to reduce the chance they will be damaged.

Step 2: Packing Your Box

Although the goal is to not have your jam or jelly break, the jars should be placed in a plastic bag in case they break. Doing so will prevent the jam or jelly from spilling out into the box if the jars happen to break.

Using cushioning material is the most obvious answer to sending fragile items in the mail, as they will absorb most forces that will potentially break the jars. This cushioning material acts as a protective layer for jars of jam or jelly in case they are dropped or moved abruptly.

While bubble wrap is the most common cushioning material used when shipping items, many other things can be used. Things like newspaper, cotton, fabric, foam, packing peanuts, or cardboard can be used if you don’t have bubble wrap. However, make sure that the jar doesn’t have room to slide around.

A downside to newspaper or packing peanuts would be that the jars of jelly or jam are heavier than the packing material. This would mean that if the box was shifted, these packing materials wouldn’t be sturdy enough to keep the jars in place unless densely packed into the box. Therefore, something like bubble wrap or foam would be better.

While using other materials to protect your fragile package is definitely an option, bubble wrap or foam pieces are most likely the safest options, as they provide the most cushion and will not move around if the box is dropped or shifted. Both of these provide air-tight packaging and are not made of materials hard enough to damage jars.

How to Optimize Both Techniques

If you chose to layer multiple boxes within the package, that does not mean that you shouldn’t also provide cushioning material. In fact, if you both layer the boxes and place protective material in the package, it is very likely that the jars won’t be damaged during transit, as they are cushioned and protected by multiple materials and can’t shift during transit.

To create the most efficient package, you should first put the jars in plastic bags to reduce spillage if they do happen to break. Next, wrap the jars in a layer of bubble wrap that covers the sides, top, and bottom, and make sure that they are wrapped in several layers. Now, if you have several jars, you can place each of the jars into its own small box or a jar packaging box that has a built-in cardboard divider.

After this, you should place the bubble wrap (or whatever material you are using) into the larger box to surround the bottom and sides of the box. After you place the small boxes inside this large box, you should put more bubble wrap in between the small boxes to ensure they don’t hit each other and break the jars inside. Lastly, place more of your cushioning material on top of the small boxes so that they are covered on all sides.

My favorite option is to wrap the jars each in bubble wrap and then put them in a banker’s box, like this one found on Amazon. They are usually used for storage but also work well for shipping.

Now you’re all set to mail the jars as you would any other object.

Related How to Package and Ship Honey in the Mail.

FedEx Recommendations

The first thing that FedEx suggests is that you choose the right box. They say that you can do this by picking a box that fits tightly around your product, is sturdy enough to support the weight of your objects, and is big enough to allow you to place cushioning material inside.

Their second suggestion is that you double-box your package, much like we’ve mentioned. More specifically, you should make sure that the exterior box is about 3 inches bigger than your original box to allow for cushioning between the interior and exterior box. They also suggest that you package your fragile items individually and place the cushioning tightly around the objects so they can’t move.

FedEx also states that the accurate placement and amount of cushioning are vital for your jars to withstand anything that might happen to them during transit. To make sure that your jars won’t move around, it is suggested that you place the object in the middle of the box and cushion it on all sides.

Next, fill all empty spaces with packing peanuts or something else that provides cushioning. The last guidance that FedEx gives is that you tightly seal the boxes by creating an “H” of tape down the middle seam and edges of the box.

Whatever method you choose, the main point is to make sure nothing is able to easily shift during shipping. Pack those boxes tight!

I hope this has been helpful, thanks for stoppin’ by!

Jelly Grandma