How to transport refrigerated chocolate truffles on an airplane?

[violet02]

So previously I had gone through this big huge deal of trying to figure out how to preserve Lindor Truffle Eggs from April until now. I finally put them in airtight plastic containers (they are still in their boxes/plastic trays). I have two square containers with about 40 chocolate eggs in them.

So now, how to get them to Minneapolis in 2 weeks? The airline allows you to bring a certain amount of dry ice and I thought about packing some of that in a cooler with the containers but a friend said dry ice will freeze the eggs. Plus I''d have to buy enough ice the night before my 6am flight to have enough the morning we leave etc. Seems like a pain.

Another friend suggested packs of frozen peas since i can''t bring those ice cooler packs since they will melt into water. I don''t want to buy a bunch of chemical packs either. My dad suggested checking them but I don''t want to have them out of my control for too long in case they sit on the runway somwhere and melt.

I do have a direct flight and it''s under 4 hours. I have to factor in travel to the airport/wait time and travel from the airport time.

Any suggestions on what''s the best way to do this??

I''m also super nervous about the day of the wedding. I have to bring them up to room temperature before I remove them from the containers and then put them in the favor boxes and get them out on the tables. Suffice to say I''m never doing this again!

 

[monarch64]

I would just transport them in my belly. But that's just me.

ETA: sorry Violet, I have no expert advice to give, but I'm sure someone here will be able to provide you with non-smarta$$ advice. I'm terrible.

 

[whitby_2773]

hi violet

absolutely DONT freeze them or let them spend time with ice or frozen goods; it gives the chocolate those white marks and makes it dry out if you let it get too close to freezing.

if you stay in air conditioning they should be fine. chocolate is stable at room temperature, so you should be fine if you just keep them with you and out of sun/heat.

 

[mia1181]

I don''t really have any great advice, but this seems like quite an undertaking!

I can say that last month I flew from here to LA with a lunch that was packed with one of those gel things and they never stopped me. I do think the dry ice will freeze them. Frozen peas will melt very quickly (lots of surface area). Are they not okay at room temperature? I usually fly with Sponge Candy in my carry on from Buffalo to SFO and they hold up well and Sponge Candy is really sensitive to humidity.

 

[violet02]

Date: 7/23/2009 2:48:13 AM
Author: monarch64
I would just transport them in my belly. But that''s just me.

ETA: sorry Violet, I have no expert advice to give, but I''m sure someone here will be able to provide you with non-smarta$$ advice. I''m terrible.

LOL

 

[violet02]

Date: 7/23/2009 2:56:17 AM
Author: mia1181
I don't really have any great advice, but this seems like quite an undertaking!

I can say that last month I flew from here to LA with a lunch that was packed with one of those gel things and they never stopped me. I do think the dry ice will freeze them. Frozen peas will melt very quickly (lots of surface area). Are they not okay at room temperature? I usually fly with Sponge Candy in my carry on from Buffalo to SFO and they hold up well and Sponge Candy is really sensitive to humidity.

What kind of gel thing? Link! Good point about the peas they may melt fast.

Did the gel thing keep it cold? I don't want them to come up to room temperature until the day of the wedding. Too much cold/warm/cold/warm won't make the chocolate hold up very well. I'd like to keep them cool from fridge, to plane, to hotel, to wedding, then let them get warm. I have to re-refrigerate them when i get there.

 

[mia1181]

Oh I meant those Ice packs.... I''m pretty sure they are filled with gel, no? Or is it just water?

 

[mia1181]

haha you could use these as favors too!

http://www.icewraps.net/gel-packs.html

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 7/23/2009 3:08:12 AM
Author: mia1181
Oh I meant those Ice packs.... I''m pretty sure they are filled with gel, no? Or is it just water?

Ha, I never ripped one open because I was sure all hell would break loose!

I have a bunch that came with hospital mommy gift bags. They are pretty darn useful and stay frozen for ages!! It just keeps things cool, not frozen!

 

[mia1181]

Oh and yes, peas BARELY make it home from the grocery store. People like to use them for ice packs for swelling because they are soft and bendable not because they actually stay frozen.

The gel ice pack did stay frozen and the food stayed cold....

 

[mia1181]

Date: 7/23/2009 3:10:35 AM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 7/23/2009 3:08:12 AM
Author: mia1181
Oh I meant those Ice packs.... I''m pretty sure they are filled with gel, no? Or is it just water?

Ha, I never ripped one open because I was sure all hell would break loose!

I have a bunch that came with hospital mommy gift bags. They are pretty darn useful and stay frozen for ages!! It just keeps things cool, not frozen!

Ha ha I''m sure those are the ones I used. They say Infamil (sp?) on them! Hospital ones are the best because they are smaller and take up less room in the bag!

 

[violet02]

Date: 7/23/2009 3:10:35 AM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 7/23/2009 3:08:12 AM
Author: mia1181
Oh I meant those Ice packs.... I''m pretty sure they are filled with gel, no? Or is it just water?

Ha, I never ripped one open because I was sure all hell would break loose!

I have a bunch that came with hospital mommy gift bags. They are pretty darn useful and stay frozen for ages!! It just keeps things cool, not frozen!

Okay so buy GEL packs, freeze them then put them in the cooler? I hope they don''t try to call me out at security about the ''contents'' of them. Where''s the best place to buy a big one? Or is it better to buy a bunch of little ones like mia linked?

 

[mia1181]

Hmmm.... now that I think of it I''m not sure if I''d risk it. How big are your containers? Would your cooler be big?

Maybe we can think of something frozen that you can buy inside the airport, past security..... and just stick it in there.... let me think about it....

 

[honey22]

Dry ice is minus 120 celcius, it will freeze your eggs. You need to use something else that will keep them cool and not frozen. The last thing you want is those horrible white marks on the chocolates.

I would personally transport them in my tummy!

 

[violet02]

Date: 7/23/2009 3:23:40 AM
Author: mia1181
Hmmm.... now that I think of it I''m not sure if I''d risk it. How big are your containers? Would your cooler be big?

Maybe we can think of something frozen that you can buy inside the airport, past security..... and just stick it in there.... let me think about it....

I have two of these:
http://www.kitchenkapers.com/oxo-2-4-qt-square-container.html

I''d have to find a cooler that wouldn''t be too big to handle these two side by side.

 

[mia1181]

You don''t take any medication that LOOKS like it should be refrigerated do you? Or you don''t happen to be flying with a baby? Because I''m sure you can use ice packs for baby food or medications. Other than that I''m unsure....

 

[mia1181]

Oh! What about getting one of these:
http://www.shopatclares.com/Items/item.aspx?SKU=HWICE

Go through security and then fill it with ice at a soda machine...

Then you can always empty and refill on the plane if it melts....


ETA- that's the first one I saw on google, but any ice bag would work....

 

[violet02]

Date: 7/23/2009 3:39:09 AM
Author: mia1181
Oh! What about getting one of these:
http://www.shopatclares.com/Items/item.aspx?SKU=HWICE

Go through security and then fill it with ice at a soda machine...

Then you can always empty and refill on the plane if it melts....

Hrm that could work, but at 6am what if there is nothing open with an ice machine! I can always call the airline to find out what they will allow too.

I am going to need some sort of soft side cooler to take on board.

This one looks good but it''s pricey and it''s about 1 inch off in dimensions, would it still work?

http://www.rei.com/product/765258

 

[mia1181]

remember you need room for the ice pack too...

Definitely call the airline but I''m pretty sure they will say no. They did miss mine though... mine was in a small soft cooler inside a bag, though. Your''s will draw more attention.

I do think a soda machine will be open somewhereat in the airport at 6am.

Just steal a baby! Babies always work!

 

[violet02]

Date: 7/23/2009 3:48:32 AM
Author: mia1181
remember you need room for the ice pack too...

Definitely call the airline but I''m pretty sure they will say no. They did miss mine though... mine was in a small soft cooler inside a bag, though. Your''s will draw more attention.

I do think a soda machine will be open somewhereat in the airport at 6am.

Just steal a baby! Babies always work!

Oh good point!

What about this one?
http://www.rei.com/product/752723

It''s cheaper and looks like it may work size-wise as long as they don''t give me crap for bringing on a real cooler.

I thinking stealing a baby will for sure get me kicked off!

 

[violet02]

I also read that gel is not allowed. But someone mentioned frozen grapes!

 

[mia1181]

I am off to bed, but isn''t the concern just keeping them from melting? Like they''d be fine at room temp but you''d like to keep them cool? If so frozen grapes would work... or maybe that''s the right path, think of other foods you can freeze.... What a fun project!

Oh I need to go to bed now but speaking of crap we do for weddings.... next time we talk I''ll have to tell you about my sister''s wedding. And the crap I offered to do for some reason

What the heck was I thinking? Glad it''s finally over!

Well goodnight!

 

[violet02]

Date: 7/23/2009 3:59:16 AM
Author: mia1181
I am off to bed, but isn''t the concern just keeping them from melting? Like they''d be fine at room temp but you''d like to keep them cool? If so frozen grapes would work... or maybe that''s the right path, think of other foods you can freeze.... What a fun project!

Oh I need to go to bed now but speaking of crap we do for weddings.... next time we talk I''ll have to tell you about my sister''s wedding. And the crap I offered to do for some reason

What the heck was I thinking? Glad it''s finally over!

Well goodnight!

Yeah I think frozen grabes might be big enough to be more ice cubey.

Can''t wait to hear the story about your sis''s wedding!

 

[JulieN]

checking them with a frozen cold pack sounds like the best deal to me. It''ll be plenty cool in the cargo (duh) and it won''t be sitting out too long when you arrive.

 

[violet02]

Date: 7/23/2009 5:53:09 AM
Author: JulieN
checking them with a frozen cold pack sounds like the best deal to me. It''ll be plenty cool in the cargo (duh) and it won''t be sitting out too long when you arrive.

My dad mentioned that it would be cold enough in the hold to be okay for the duration of the trip. I guess if I packed in a ton of ice that may work but somehow that makes me nervous!

 

[dragonfly411]

Just for the record, I like Monarch''s Idea

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 7/23/2009 5:35:57 PM
Author: violet02

Date: 7/23/2009 5:53:09 AM
Author: JulieN
checking them with a frozen cold pack sounds like the best deal to me. It'll be plenty cool in the cargo (duh) and it won't be sitting out too long when you arrive.

My dad mentioned that it would be cold enough in the hold to be okay for the duration of the trip. I guess if I packed in a ton of ice that may work but somehow that makes me nervous!

It should be cold in the hold. But, on his last trip to Paris, DH transported some French chocolates in his checked luggage and they ended up entirely melted.

I cried.

I strongly suggest hand transporting. You just never know.

 

[Pandora II]

Planes have fridges - can you ask the airline if you can stick your chocolates in their fridge during the flight?

Keep them in an insulated cool bag the rest of the time.