Mother's Day gifts you can post
Living away from home but want to make your mum feel special this Mother's Day? Send her something tasty through the post by reading up on our portable recipes and packaging tips.
Mother’s Day brings with it the inevitable dilemma of finding a meaningful present to give your mum, but spare a thought for all those sons and daughters living away from home. They have to wave goodbye to any notions of breakfast in bed or roast dinners and come up with something portable instead. So which homemade gifts are best for delivery? Read our recipe ideas and tips for securely packaging your bundle into something special.
For more Mother's Day inspiration, don't miss our Mother's Day page or check out our reviews section for more gift ideas. Looking for the ultimate personalised gift? Put together a customised My BBC Good Food cookbook filled with mum's favourite recipes, or treat her to one of our online cookery courses.
Mother's Day presents to post...
Posting your mum a present requires a little tactical competence when it comes to the choice of edibles, packaging techniques and postal practices – we’d wager no mum wants to end up with a box of smashed macaroons halfway through April.
If you’re going down the traditional edibles route, our assistant food editor, Miriam Nice, recommends posting a long-life, robust bake; ''Loaf cakes last around three days, while simple iced biscuits will stay fresh for up to a week. If you’re really concerned about postal delays, hardy Yorkshire parkin stays moist for up to a fortnight. Remember to label your bake with a 'best before' tag.''
But no matter how resilient your bake, packaging is key to your gift remaining intact. Cover your creation in several layers of baking parchment, then a sheet of foil to combat any leakage. If you’re putting it in a plastic container, use balls of coloured tissue paper or kitchen roll to stop it from sliding around and hitting the sides of the box.
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Once securely bundled, head to the post office and opt for the delivery mode that’ll get your package there in the quickest time, and try to organise delivery for a time when someone is in, otherwise your treats may end up in a sorting office for days. The Royal Mail will be able to advise on whether to opt for recorded, signed-for or standard delivery, depending on where you’re posting to. They also had the following to say about perishable items:
“Royal Mail reminds customers that perishable items, including fresh fruit and vegetables, are subject to restrictions. They must be securely sealed and should be clearly labelled “perishable”. We encourage customers not to post anything into the postal system that is not properly packaged or is on our restricted list. Anyone posting items that are not properly packaged could find they are delayed or taken out of the postal system. Find out more by visiting the Royal Mail site."
Miriam also has suggestions for what to avoid sending; ''Don’t go for anything with fresh ingredients like fruit or herbs, uncooked dairy, or items that need refrigerating like butter or cream.''
If you prefer a flat-packed present, try sending your mum a homemade kit. Our cupcake and cookie kits contain the dry ingredients for a baked creation in a neat jar – you could even tuck in a shopping voucher for the additional wet ingredients. Or, if you wanted to provide a breakfast in bed from afar, make your own special granola and pack it into a paper bag or decorative box.
If you want to keep things really petite, fill one envelope with popping corn and another with seasoning of your choice, then decorate with cooking instructions and pop them into a padded envelope with a DVD and her favourite film night snack.
What will you be giving on Mother's Day this year? We'd like to hear your ideas...
