Standard Insulated Shipping: $9.95 (Free on orders of $150 or more, or those shipping with USPS Priority or Express Mail AND containing raw cultured vegetables)
Foam: 1" thick
Ice Packs: Variable based on quantity of items and shipping temperatures
Details: Ideal for moderate shipping temperatures and/or shorter delivery distances (1-4 days)
Premium Insulated Shipping: $35.00
Foam: 4" thick
Ice Packs: Variable based on quantity of items and shipping temperatures
Details: Ideal for hot temperatures and longer delivery distances (3-7 days)
Due to the live nature of the Raw Cultured Vegetables we require insulation (styrofoam and ice packs) to retain the money back guarantee. Orders of raw cultured vegetables with Ground shipping that do not include insulation will not be shipped automatically. We will need to communicate by phone or email for the order to be released for shipping. You can add insulation to your order by adding more than $150 worth of items to your cart and then selecting the shipping method labeled “$7 Flat Rate Shipping with STANDARD Insulated Packaging” at checkout (Western states only), or by adding it to your cart from the insulation product page which can be accessed by clicking “Add to cart” on the blue icon available on every raw cultured vegetable product page below the green box with the jar size options. Orders shipping with USPS Priority or Express Mail include Standard insulation at no additional cost, though the weight of the ice is calculated into the ship cost.
Feel free to use the following links to the weather forecast and transit time maps as well as the information below to determine transit weather and time to help you predict the conditions to which your order may be subjected.
7 Day Forecast from AccuWeather.com
Today's Weather from Weather.com
FedEx and UPS Ground Service Transit Time Maps
If you are unclear on which shipping method is appropriate for your order feel free to contact customer service at 800-805-7957.
We are available 9 A.M to 5 P.M. PST Monday through Friday. If we are assisting other customers and cannot pickup do leave a message clearly stating your name, phone number and reason for calling, and we will return your call as soon as possible.
The culturing or fermentation process that occurs with Raw Cultured Vegetables is a natural method of food preservation. This means that they can be safely unrefrigerated for a short period of time (such as 1-7 days in transit) which will vary depending on the temperatures to which they are subjected. As the temperature rises, the probiotics in the Raw Cultured Vegetables become more active and begin consuming the starch in the vegetables at a faster rate. They release effervescence as part of their metabolic process (this is the zing you sometimes you feel on your tongue when eating Raw Cultured Vegetables). The effervescence can push the juice up causing it to leak out of the jar, it can make the lid puffy and it can even make the vegetables expand out of the jar when you open it. We call this process "expansion," and it does result in Raw Cultured Vegetables that are more potent with probiotics, but may have a shorter shelf life. They are still beneficial to eat until the probiotics have consumed all the available starch in the veggies at which point they will no longer taste palatable. The amount of shelf life lost will depend on transit time and temperature.
Insulated packaging is a simple way to protect your Raw Cultured Vegetables from heat or freeze related changes that may occur while in transit. An additional fee will apply (either $9.95 or $35 depending on which type you select, as described above) for orders shipping with UPS or FedEx Ground and totaling less than $150. Our labels state that Raw Cultured Vegetables should be refrigerated unless in transit for less than 9 days at less than 74˚ (or 77˚ depending on which flavor you have).
When unopened jars are refrigerated, they may be safely consumed and enjoyed after many months. We would usually expect unopened jars to be good to eat for at least a month after their sell-by date. After experiencing expansion during a warm transit that expectation may be shortened, though the natural method of preservation will usually still allow for a multi-month shelf life when Raw Cultured Vegetables are refrigerated at 33° or 34° upon receipt and then stored at this temperature because the probiotics are relatively dormant at cold temperatures. Slightly warmer refrigerated temperatures (35˚- 38°) may also be effective, though if you notice leakage try lowering your refrigerator temperature. While colder temperatures will prolong shelf life, be careful not to let it freeze as that may damage the probiotic activity. We recommend that you cool them down to 33˚ or 34˚ before opening which will minimize the chance of your Raw Cultured Vegetables expanding beyond the jar when opened. Once you open a jar we usually recommend you eat it within about 4-6 weeks (or until you notice a dull/browning color and/or a rancid or alcohol taste).
Western U.S.: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
The standard shipping method for orders with or without raw cultured vegetables going to Western states is FedEx Ground or UPS Ground (1-3 business days to most locations). Please use the FedEx and UPS Ground service maps if you would like to determine the usual transit time for your order after it ships out of our California warehouse (zip code 95023). Expedited shipping with USPS Express Mail (1 business day) is also available, call us at 800-805-7957 to arrange. Insulation is required for raw cultured vegetables to retain the money back guarantee. Standard insulation (1” styrofoam and ice) is $9.95 or free on orders over $150, or those shipping with expedited service. Premium insulation (4” styrofoam and ice) is also available for $35. If you would like your raw cultured vegetables to ship without insulation you can call us at 800-805-7957 and verbally acknowledge the potential for leakage due to "expansion" (see explanation below under “Understanding Raw Cultured Vegetables”), as well as release us of liability for shortened shelf life and/or damage including breakage (due to leakage softening the box).
Eastern U.S.: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut , Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Raw cultured vegetables going to Eastern states are required to ship with USPS Priority Mail (2-3 business days), which includes free Standard insulation (1” styrofoam and ice), to retain the money back guarantee. We only ship USPS Priority Mail Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to avoid any extra days in transit over the weekend. Orders that do not contain raw cultured vegetables may still be shipped with FedEx/UPS Ground (4-5 business day transit time) at the $7 rate. Please use the USPS Priority Mail or FedEx and UPS Ground service maps if you would like to determine the usual transit time for your order after it ships out of our California warehouse (zip code 95023). If you would like your raw cultured vegetables to ship with Ground service which takes between 4 business days to a full week in transit (5 business days plus the weekend for East Coast destinations, see Ground service maps to determine if your location is 4 or 5 days) you can call us at 800-805-7957 and verbally acknowledge the potential for leakage due to "expansion" (see explanation below under “Understanding Raw Cultured Vegetables”), as well as release us of liability for shortened shelf life and/or damage including breakage (due to leakage softening the box).
Orders shipping with FedEx/UPS Ground are usually delivered within the estimated time on the transit time map, however they are only guaranteed to be delivered within seven business days. The only way to guarantee delivery within 1-3 days is by choosing an expedited shipping service such as USPS Priority Mail or Express Mail. If you would like to choose expedited shipping and do not see options for it during the checkout process, or need guaranteed delivery on a specific date feel free to call us at 800-805-7957 to arrange it.
Please remember with all shipping options you never count the first day out as part of the transit time, you start counting on the following day. For example, if it is a four day transit time and it leaves on a Monday it will arrive on Friday. Also keep in mind that you do not count Saturday and Sunday, even with expedited shipping. We recommend avoiding weekends if possible to minimize transit time and expansion, so feel free to request that your order be held for a Monday in the optional "Order Instructions / Comments" box in Step 5 of the checkout process. If we feel strongly that your order should go out on a Monday we will hold it and ship it the following Monday. We also reserve the right to hold shipments to avoid delays due to no shipping service on holidays.
Orders shipping to addresses outside the 48 continental United States will be shipped with USPS. The transit time will depend on what you plan to order. International orders with raw cultured vegetables will need to be shipped with Global Express Guaranteed (1-3 days). Orders that do not contain any raw cultured vegetables may also be shipped with Priority Express Mail International (3-5 days) or Priority Mail International (6-10 days). You are responsible for all international shipping and customs charges. We will ship international orders at the soonest opportunity after receiving payment.