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Re: Shipping tomatoes

Janet Wintermute wrote:
>
> Mike wants to ship his Zone 5 tomatoes to Florida:
> >        I'm looking for some info on shipping tomatoes out to a relative who
> >loves them. I want to send my father-in-law some tomatoes via UPS or
> >first class mail. Does anybody have any suggestions how I should ship
> >tomatoes ? I'm in Ma. and he lives in Fl., it should not take more than
> >2 to 3 day's for them to arrive to his house. If anybody has done this
> >before or has any suggestions please let me know.
>
> I have a brother living in Naples, FL, on the gulf side opposite Miami.
> Naples is a *big* commercial tomato-growing area, and just as there are
> local firms specializing in the shipment of citrus up north, there are
> tomato firms that ship toms the same way.
>
> I know for a local fact that the citrus firms in that area use UPS and do
> not spend the extra money for overnight service.  However, their products
> come with thick skins and naturally resist the slings and arrows of truck
> and plane operations much better than toms would.
>
> Here's my advice (not based on what the pro's might be up to):
>
> Go to Federal Express and establish an account if you don't already have one
> (doing that is free, but I believe you have to have a major credit card to
> do it).
>
> Get a FedEx mailing tube.  It starts ot flat but assembles to a square-sided
> receptacle about 3 feet long with each side about 3.5 inches across.
> Assemble the tube and shut one end permanently.  Pour an inch or two of
> styrofoam peanuts into the bottom of the tube.  Carefully lower tomato #1
> onto the packing material.  Another inch of peanuts.  Tomato #2, etc.,
> alternating layers to the top of the tube.  End with peanuts; tamp the
> contents down gently by bumping the closed end of the tube on the floor.
> Maximize the peanut content before closing the second end for good.
>
> If you choose fairly *un*ripe tomatoes for this and use overnight shipping,
> I believe you will be successful.  Totally ripe toms will be so soft that
> they might not remain intact for the whole trip.  Then the tube will be a
> mess to deal with.
>
> If you decide to send all-green toms, be certain to check their bottoms for
> the presence of white branches radiating out from the center in a spindly
> starlike formation.  These signal the "turn" of the tomato.  Greenies
> without the star will never ripen.  Greenies with the star will *all* ripen.
>
> Warn your recipient to open the tube immediately and position it on its side
> and gently shake the tube until the bottom couple of toms roll out.  If they
> seem to be stuck, the cardboard sides of the tube can be cut with a sharp
> knife, but that does pose a small risk to the remaining fruit.
>
> It's not insane to send toms to Florida now, by the way.  As Doreen wrote
> from south of Houston recently, she's done with the first tomato crop now.
> Floridians must be in about the same situation.
>
> --Janet
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> Janet Wintermute             jwintermute@ids2.idsonline.com
>
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Thanks Janet,

        I'm going to try shipping some tomatoes which are just ready to start
turning ripe. I'll keep you posted to how they turned out.

Mike

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