At Asher’s Chocolate Co., we believe every treat should arrive as perfect as the moment it left our team, even in the heat of summer. When temperatures start to climb, shipping out chocolate to deliver it to excited customers in perfect condition becomes a delicate art. That’s why we take special steps during the warmer months to protect your order from heat, humidity, and other seasonal challenges.
Whether you’re sending a gift or stocking up on your own favorites, here’s how we keep your chocolate looking and tasting great all summer long.
Why Warm Weather Shipping Requires Special Attention
Chocolate is a temperamental delight. While it may seem solid and stable, its ingredients (particularly cocoa butter and sugar) are highly sensitive to temperature changes. At just 75°F, chocolate can begin to soften. That softening makes the chocolate go out of temper as it cools again, and once that’s lost, your chocolate is vulnerable to visual and textural changes like bloom, melting, or cracking.
Inside a mail truck, the temperature can spike to more than 20 degrees hotter than the weather outside. That means even a mild 78°F summer day can result in a 98°F delivery environment, which is more than enough to soften or melt even the sturdiest chocolate. That’s why we don’t take any chances.
How to Prevent the Four Common Forms of Heat Damage
We’ve refined our warm weather shipping process over more than 130 years of experience, five generations of knowledge, customer feedback, and plenty of careful experimentation. While summer can be a challenging season for chocolate lovers, our goal is to deliver each order with the same care and quality you’d expect during the cooler months.
From packaging design to temperature control, every part of our summer shipping strategy is built around protecting your chocolate from the most common and most frustrating types of heat-related damage. Here’s a closer look at the issues we guard against and how we stay one step ahead of the heat.
1. Fat Bloom: The Cosmetic Culprit
What It Looks Like: A dull, whitish or grayish film or streaks on the surface of chocolate.
Why It Happens: Heat melts the cocoa butter fat, which rises to the surface to cool and then solidify unevenly.
What It Affects: Appearance and texture, making chocolate look blotchy and feel waxy or grainy.
How We Prevent It: We ship on ice during the summer months and keep chocolate in a stable, cool environment throughout packing and transit to prevent fluctuating temperatures and improper tempering.
2. Sugar Bloom: The Texture Shifter
What It Looks Like: A rough, grainy coating that makes the chocolate seem dusty.
Why It Happens: Moisture from condensation via heat-to-cold transfer dissolves sugar on the surface and forms a crusty residue when it dries.
What It Affects: Taste and mouthfeel, with sugar bloom adding grit and dulling the smoothness.
How We Prevent It: We protect chocolates from rapid heat-to-cold shifts and keep moisture-sensitive packaging from getting wet.
3. Melting: The Complete Breakdown
What It Looks Like: A misshapen, sticky, or liquefied chocolate.
Why It Happens: Chocolate melts between 86–90°F (30–32°C), which is easily reached in mail trucks, sorting facilities, or even front porches.
What It Affects: Everything. Once melted and resolidified, chocolate loses its signature snap and becomes chalky or waxy.
How We Prevent It: We pack all warm-weather orders with non-toxic, reusable poly gel ice packs that maintain a stable, cold temperature for a minimum of 24 hours inside a cooler.
4. Cracking: When Treats Fall Apart
What It Looks Like: A fractured or broken chocolate coating, especially around pretzels.
Why It Happens: Sudden cooling causes chocolate to contract faster than the pretzel inside, which doesn’t shrink or expand in the same way.
What It Affects: Presentation and bite with cracked coatings that are unappealing and can flake or break apart.
How We Prevent It: We carefully manage storage and transit temperatures and minimize exposure to extreme fluctuations and humidity.
Ice Packs: Cold, Clean & Customer-Friendly
Our poly gel ice packs are the unsung heroes of summer shipping. Unlike frozen water, which can sweat or leak, poly gel maintains a stable, food-safe chill with no mess. Here’s what makes our ice packs a smart and sustainable choice:
- Non-toxic & Food-Grade: They’re safe to use around edibles and packaging.
- Reusable: Freeze and use them again at home for lunches, coolers, or first aid.
- Long-lasting: They stay cool for at least 24 hours inside a well-insulated cooler.
These cooling agents aren’t just effective. They’re an investment in quality. Though the cost to us is over $10 per order, we use them to protect your chocolate because we believe your satisfaction is worth it.
Our Commitment to Careful Packing
When we say we take warm weather shipping seriously, we mean it. Every summer shipment includes:
- Ice-packed coolers to keep chocolate in the perfect temperature range
- Moisture-resistant packaging to protect candy from condensation and leaks
- Efficient packing timelines to minimize time in hot trucks or facilities
- Expert monitoring of weather trends and regional temperatures
As a rule, we don’t ship on Fridays during warm weather months of the year. Depending on national temperatures, transit times, and destination, we may hold an order until the following Monday to ship out fresh.
Warm Weather Chocolate Tips for Customers
To get the best results from our warm weather shipping practices, here are a few things you can do to help:
- Track your shipment and bring it inside as soon as it’s delivered. Don’t let it sit on a sunny porch or in a mailbox.
- Store your chocolate in a cool, dry place after arrival. Avoid refrigerating unless absolutely necessary (and wrap it if you do).
- Open the box indoors to allow any condensation to settle and reduce exposure to outdoor humidity.
Year-Round Quality, No Matter the Season
We know how disappointing it can be to receive chocolate that doesn’t look or taste the way it should. That’s why we go the extra mile and spend a little more to ensure your order arrives just as you expect: rich, smooth, and indulgent.
Summer heat is no match for our process. With thoughtful packing, food-safe ice packs, and a little teamwork from our customers, we’re proud to deliver Asher’s Chocolate Co. favorites that are as delicious in July as they are in December.
Ready to order? Browse our lineup of amazing chocolates to find the perfect gift for yourself or others!