How long can a Blue Apron box sit out? (+7 Tips for meal kits)
In this post, we will answer how long a Blue Apron box can sit out. Furthermore, we will be checking out a few tips that you can follow if you are opting for a meal-kit delivery service like Blue Apron. Lastly, we will be mentioning the different advantages that customers of Blue Apron can experience.
How long can a Blue Apron box sit out?
A Blue Apron box can sit out for up to 24 hours without any refrigeration. This is because the ingredients of each meal box are carefully wrapped and preserved using ice packs and insulation. Special care is given to easily perishable ingredients like meats and seafood in Blue Apron. Furthermore, about 85% of the packaging is easily recyclable.
Tips to use with meal-kit delivery services
If you are new to a meal-kit delivery service like Blue Apron, and are wondering about ways to make the best out of your subscription, you will find the following tips very useful.
Set aside a space for delivery
If you are not going to be at home when your meal-kit delivery arrives, you need to set aside a safe space for the delivery person to place your package. This area needs to be shaded away from sunlight so as to prevent spoilage of the ingredients. It also needs to be secure from pests and hungry rodents who otherwise may have a party with your meal kit before you get home
Refrigerate ASAP
Another thing you need to do as soon as you receive your meal kit is to refrigerate the package. Some ingredients like seafood and meat need to be refrigerated immediately as they are very prone to spoilage. These can be frozen if you are planning on cooking much later, or can be stored in a bowl of ice if you are planning to cook sometime.
Wash produce
Depending on the recipe, some meal kits may have veggies and other produce. It is important that you give them a good wash under running water to remove any dirt. Most meal-kit delivery services try their best to give customers clean produce, but it is still best to be on the safe side. Give special attention to root vegetables like carrots and potatoes.
Read the instructions more than once
The meal-kit will not only come with the raw ingredients, but also the recipe that you need to follow. Be sure to read these a few times to see if you have the required utensils and other essentials. The spices and the seasoning will come with the meal kit. But you will still need butter, salt, cooking oil and other essential supplies in your kitchen.
Swap or upgrade ingredients
Some meal-kit delivery services do not allow you to swap any ingredients. But others like Blue Apron give the customer plenty of flexibility and adaptability. If you like a certain recipe but want to get more healthy ingredients, you can easily swap one ingredient for another. Blue Apron also lets you upgrade certain ingredients to premium ones.
Extend meals as much as you can
The meal kits in these delivery services come with the right serving size for one person. However, there are still ways to make one meal into two. A simple tip that you can follow is to just double the portion of veggies. This will not alter the recipe too much, and if you fear this you can simply use the extra veggies as a side salad for a healthy kick.
Be careful with the salt
You also need to be careful with the salt in your meal kits. Some of the ingredients may come pre-salted or pre-seasoned, and adding salt to these can just end up ruining the dish. Check the salt level at various stages of cooking and see if salt is needed and then add it.
Advantages of using Blue Apron
Blue Apron as a meal-kit delivery service can bring a range of advantages to the customer, such as,
- Blue Apron brings a range of options for the customer to choose from and thus there is a lot of variety here. The recipes are also not repeated for the whole year and the customer is definitely not bound to get bored.
- There are also Weight-Watchers recipes in Blue Apron that customers who want to lose weight can opt for. These meals are restricted in calories but are definitely nutritious and delicious at the same time.
- The customer can also add add-ons in Blue Apron. These include sides and even desserts that are just as easy to prepare. The meals in Blue Apron thus become wholesome experiences that the customer can opt for.
- Blue Apron also gives wine pairings for each meal that the customer can use to make their meals even more spectacular. There is also tons of information about each wine in the blog section of Blue Apron that newbies to wine can use while ordering their meal kits.
Other FAQs about Blue Apron that you may be interested in.
How many calories are in a Blue Apron meal?
How do I contact Blue Apron by phone?
Conclusion
In this post, we have answered how long a Blue Apron box can sit out. Furthermore, we have checked out a few tips that you can follow if you are opting for a meal-kit delivery service like Blue Apron. Lastly, we have mentioned the different advantages that customers of Blue Apron can experience.
If you like this post, please leave your comments and questions in the space below.
Citations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Apron
https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/55279-54
https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/blue-apron
https://www.cleverism.com/company/blue-apron/
https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/0717287D:US
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/APRN/profile/
https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/tips-meal-kit-and-food-delivery-safety
https://lifehacker.com/six-useful-tips-for-getting-the-most-out-of-meal-kit-se-1785844097
https://www.ellaslist.com.au/articles/meal-delivery-five-tips-for-choosing-the-right-one