Chocolate melts. That is the whole problem, and it is why chocolate is the one thing on our site with its own shipping rules.
This covers what we do on our end, what happens if a bar arrives soft, and how to store one once it is in your hands.
The Short Version
- Chocolate ships FedEx Express only, Monday through Thursday
- Packed with a cold pack when it is warm out
- Cannot be delivered to a PO Box
- Orders before 11:00 am PT ship the same business day
- If it arrives soft, refrigerate it unopened for one to three hours
- Store below 70°F, and do not freeze it
Why Chocolate Is Different
Chocolate begins to soften somewhere around 80 to 85°F and melts outright between 86 and 93°F. Those temperatures aren't unusual in most of the country between May and September.
The part people underestimate is that ambient temperature is not the number that matters. The inside of a delivery truck and the inside of a metal mailbox in direct sun both run considerably hotter than the air outside. A 78°F day can mean a much warmer package.
That's why we have the rules below.
What We Do Before It Ships
FedEx Express only. USPS is not offered at checkout on any order containing chocolate, even if chocolate is one item among several. Express means fewer days in transit, and fewer days in transit is the single biggest factor in whether a bar arrives intact.
Monday through Thursday. We do not ship chocolate on Fridays. A Friday shipment risks sitting in a facility over a weekend, which is exactly the scenario that ruins a bar.
Cold packs when it is warm. Chocolate orders go out with a cold pack during the warm months. It does not make the package refrigerated; it buys time.
No PO Boxes. FedEx cannot deliver to a PO Box, so chocolate orders need a street address.
What You Can Do on Your End
Order early in the week. A Monday or Tuesday order has the best chance of arriving before the weekend.
Ship somewhere it will be brought inside. A work address, or a home where someone is around, beats a porch in afternoon sun. This matters more than anything we do on our end.
Bring it in promptly. A package that survives transit can still be undone by three hours on a hot doorstep.
Consider tablets or gummies in peak summer. Neither has any of these restrictions. If you are ordering in July in Phoenix, tablets and gummies ship any business day on either carrier and go to a PO Box.
If It Arrives Soft
Refrigerate it unopened. Put the sealed package straight into the fridge. Leaving it sealed lets the chocolate re-solidify without the wrapper pulling at it.
Give it one to three hours. An hour is usually enough. Three is better if the bar was noticeably soft.
Assume softness above 80°F. It is hard to tell whether a bar has softened while it is still sealed. If the temperature where you are has been 80°F or higher, treat it as soft and refrigerate it before opening.
Then move it out of the fridge. Once it has set, store it at room temperature below 70°F. Long-term refrigeration isn't ideal, for the reasons below.
Why the Score Lines Matter
We cast every bar in a scored mold. Road Trip is eight squares, Day Tripper and Goomz are ten, Rize is ten tiles on the 12g and twenty-four on the Rize X.
Those score lines only work if the bar has held its shape. A bar that melted and reset unevenly breaks across the tiles instead of along them, and you end up with fragments rather than squares. Refrigerating a soft bar before you open it is what preserves that.
Storing Chocolate Properly
Store it cool, dark, and below 70°F. A cupboard away from the stove and out of direct sun is usually fine.
Keep it sealed. Chocolate picks up odors from whatever is around it. An open bar next to onions in a fridge will taste like it.
Do not freeze it. Freezing causes ice crystals to form in the chocolate, and when it thaws, those leave the texture grainy. It also encourages condensation, which pulls sugar to the surface.
White film is not mold. If a bar develops a pale bloom on the surface after a temperature swing, that is fat or sugar bloom. It looks wrong, and it is harmless. The bar is fine.
The Chocolate We Carry
Rize makes the widest range, in 5g, 12g, and 24g sizes.
Road Trip has four Desert Stardust bars, each scored into eight squares, including the only dark chocolate orange on our shelf.
Day Tripper keeps it to three: Milk Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, and Crunch.
Goomz builds around texture, with Wafers, Shortbread, and Chocolate Butternut.
See every mushroom chocolate bar we carry, or read our guide to picking one if you are deciding between brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you ship mushroom chocolate in summer?
We ship only via FedEx Express, Monday through Thursday, and pack it with a cold pack when it is warm. Orders before 11:00 am PT ship the same business day.
Why can't chocolate ship to a PO Box?
FedEx cannot deliver to PO Boxes, and chocolate ships FedEx only. Orders containing chocolate need a street address.
My chocolate arrived soft. What do I do?
Put the sealed package in the refrigerator for one to three hours without opening it. That lets the bar re-solidify with the score lines intact.
Can I keep chocolate in the fridge long term?
Store it at room temperature below 70°F once it has set. Refrigerators are humid, and chocolate absorbs odors.
Can I freeze mushroom chocolate?
No. Freezing forms ice crystals that leave the texture grainy when it thaws.
There is white film on my chocolate. Is it bad?
No. That is chocolate bloom, caused by a temperature swing. It is cosmetic, and the bar is fine.
Is there anything that ships more easily in summer?
Yes. Gummies and tablets have no such restrictions. Both ship any business day on either carrier and can be delivered to a PO Box.
What if my chocolate arrives melted anyway?
Contact us. We would rather hear about it than have you assume that is just how it goes.
The Bottom Line
We can control the carrier, the shipping days, and the cold pack. We cannot control the weather or how long a package sits on a doorstep. Order early in the week, send it somewhere it will be brought inside, and refrigerate it sealed if it feels soft.
And if summer where you are makes it a gamble, gummies and tablets are there for a reason.
Disclaimer: For adults 21 and over only. The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated these statements. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Author: James Harrison