To ship strawberries, chill them to about 32°F right after picking, pack them dry in vented clamshells inside an insulated box with frozen gel packs, and send them overnight with USPS Priority Mail Express or UPS Next Day Air. Strawberries are extremely perishable. USDA data shows they last up to 7 days even at an ideal 32°F, so every hour in transit counts.
The steps below work for a gift box of berries from a farm stand as well as for small growers shipping direct to customers. For other delicate fruit, our guide on how to mail fruit covers the basics, and our guide to shipping perishables and food covers cold-chain packing for every kind of food.
What Temperature Keeps Strawberries Fresh During Shipping?
Keep strawberries as close to 32°F (0°C) as possible without freezing them. USDA Agriculture Handbook 66 recommends storing strawberries at 32°F with 90 to 95% relative humidity. It also notes that strawberries aren’t sensitive to chilling, so colder is better right down to the freezing point.
Temperature control is also your best defense against mold. USDA explains that gray mold (botrytis) grows only slowly at 32°F, and Rhizopus rot can’t grow below 41°F. Because strawberries aren’t treated with fungicides after harvest, cooling is the main way to stop decay.
| Factor | USDA guidance | What it means for shipping |
|---|---|---|
| Storage temperature | 32°F (0°C) | Gel packs frozen solid; overnight service |
| Relative humidity | 90 to 95% | Covered clamshells keep moisture in and reduce shriveling |
| Storage life | Up to 7 days at 32°F, depending on disease pressure | Ship within a day of picking |
| Cooling after harvest | Start within 1 hour of picking | Refrigerate berries before you pack them |
| Chilling sensitivity | Not chilling sensitive | Cold packs are safe if berries don’t freeze |
| Ethylene | Very low production; berries don’t respond | Safe to ship with other fruit |
How Do You Pack Strawberries for Shipping?
Pack strawberries in the clamshells or baskets they were picked into, so each berry is handled as little as possible. USDA notes that growers pack berries straight into pint or quart clamshells in the field, then set them in corrugated trays, because strawberries are very delicate and bruise easily.
- Pick or buy firm, fully red berries. USDA says strawberries don’t get sweeter after harvest, so ripe berries ship best. Leave the caps on and don’t wash them, because moisture speeds mold.
- Remove damaged berries. One moldy or crushed berry spreads decay to its neighbors in the clamshell.
- Chill the berries. Refrigerate them for several hours, ideally near 32°F, before packing. An insulated box keeps berries cold but can’t cool warm ones.
- Use vented clamshells. Fill each one to the rim but not above it, so the lid doesn’t crush the top layer. An absorbent pad in the base catches moisture.
- Build the cold box. Put a foam cooler or insulated liner inside a sturdy corrugated box. Lay frozen gel packs on the bottom and top, with a sheet of cardboard between packs and fruit so the berries don’t freeze.
- Fill empty space. Use crumpled paper or air pillows so clamshells can’t shift, then tape every seam and add a return address.
Our guide to how to ship produce covers liners and cold packs for other fruits and vegetables.
Should you use dry ice to ship strawberries?
Only for frozen strawberries. Dry ice is far colder than 32°F and will freeze fresh berries, turning them mushy when they thaw. If you ship frozen berries with dry ice, USPS allows up to 5 lbs per package by air. The box must vent gas, carry a Class 9 label, and be marked “Dry Ice, UN1845” with the dry ice weight. UPS accepts dry ice used as a refrigerant on Ground and Air services without a hazardous materials agreement, as long as you follow federal marking rules.
Which Shipping Service Is Best for Strawberries?
Use an overnight service for fresh strawberries. Neither USPS nor UPS runs a refrigerated parcel network, and both carry perishables at the shipper’s risk. The UPS tariff says UPS isn’t liable for spoilage from heat or cold, even if a guaranteed package arrives late.
| Service | Delivery commitment | Use for strawberries? |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Priority Mail Express | 1 to 3 days by 6 PM, money-back guarantee | Yes, for routes where it’s overnight |
| UPS Next Day Air | Next business day | Yes, the safest choice for long distances |
| UPS 2nd Day Air | Second business day | Only nearby, in cool weather, with extra gel packs |
| USPS Priority Mail | 2 to 3 days, not guaranteed | Frozen berries with dry ice only |
| USPS Ground Advantage or UPS Ground | 2 to 5 days (USPS), 1 to 5 business days (UPS) | No, too slow for fresh berries |
Ship on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday so a delay can’t strand the box over a weekend, and send the recipient the tracking number so they can refrigerate the berries as soon as they arrive.
Can You Ship Strawberries to Another State?
Yes. Strawberries can generally be shipped to any U.S. state when they’re dry, packed to arrive before spoiling, and not restricted by a quarantine. USPS Publication 52 makes fresh fruit mailable only when it’s presented in a dry condition. USDA quarantines, published at 7 CFR 301 and 7 CFR 318, can restrict fruit from certain areas, such as Hawaii. California also inspects produce arriving at mail and parcel carrier facilities. Our guide on how to ship fruit to another state walks through the quarantine checks.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship Strawberries?
Overnight service, an insulated box and gel packs make strawberries one of the more expensive foods to ship. The box’s weight and dimensions, the distance and the speed all set the price. A compact cooler that fits the clamshells snugly keeps the size, and the cost, down.
To price your box, compare live UPS and USPS rates for your package in the ParcelPath rate calculator. ParcelPath is free to use and offers up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS retail rates, with no subscription. Growers moving full pallets of berries should look at refrigerated freight instead, covered in our guide to refrigerated shipping costs. For other carrier options, see our roundup of the best shipping services and solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you ship strawberries through USPS?
Yes. USPS accepts fresh strawberries when they’re dry and packed to arrive before they spoil, but they’re mailed at your own risk because USPS has no refrigerated service. Use Priority Mail Express, which delivers in 1 to 3 days by 6 PM with a money-back guarantee, and pack the berries with frozen gel packs.
How long do strawberries last during shipping?
USDA Agriculture Handbook 66 says strawberries last up to 7 days at 32°F, depending on disease pressure, and much less when they warm up. Because the time from picking to shipping uses part of that window, fresh strawberries should spend no more than 1 day in transit.
How do you keep strawberries from getting crushed in the mail?
Ship them in the vented clamshells they were picked into, filled level with the rim, and set the clamshells upright so nothing rests on the berries. Fill all empty space in the box with crumpled paper or air pillows. USDA notes strawberries are very delicate, so the less they’re handled, the better.
Can you ship frozen strawberries?
Yes. Pack frozen strawberries in a sealed bag inside an insulated cooler with dry ice. USPS allows up to 5 lbs of dry ice per package by air, with a Class 9 label and a “Dry Ice, UN1845” marking, and UPS accepts dry ice as a refrigerant on Ground and Air services.
Sources
- USDA Agriculture Handbook 66: The Commercial Storage of Fruits, Vegetables, and Florist and Nursery Stocks (Strawberry)
- USPS Publication 52, 53: Fresh Foods and Other Perishables
- USPS Publication 52, 562: Quarantines
- USPS Publication 52, Packaging Instruction 9A: Dry Ice
- USPS: Shipping Restrictions
- USPS: Priority Mail Express
- USPS: Priority Mail
- USPS: Ground Advantage
- UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service, United States (3.10 Dry Ice, 3.14 Perishable Commodities)
- California Department of Food and Agriculture: Interior Exclusion (cdfa.ca.gov/plant/pe/interiorexclusion/)
Part of our How to Ship Produce guide. Related: How to Ship Fruit to Another State, How to Mail Fruit, How to Ship Frozen Food.
