The worry of leaks and spoiled goods when sending pickles to Canada
Many families in Canada who miss the taste of home ask relatives to send a few jars of pickled shallots, pickled mustard greens or sweet and sour pickled eggplant. However, food is a very sensitive category for air shipping. Pickles keep fermenting and producing gas in transit. When cabin pressure changes, ordinary plastic jars easily swell, pop their lids and leak brine onto surrounding parcels, which can lead the airline to refuse or destroy them.
To make sure your taste of home arrives intact, you need to know how to pack against leaks and choose the right shipping service.
Comparing costs for shipping food to Canada
Depending on the weight and your needs, Soleil Transportation offers air shipping solutions from Vietnam to Canada with delivery to the recipient at very competitive prices.
| Service | Best for | Starting price | Delivery time |
|---|---|---|---|
| ePacket | Small parcels and personal gifts under 2 kg | From $8.50 CAD per parcel | 7–14 business days |
| Dedicated air freight | Larger quantities of food, consolidated shipments | From $16/kg | 7–12 business days |
Note: Prices include import duties in Canada. Packing in a standard carton is free.
3 steps to pack pickles so the lids don’t pop
To keep jars of pickled shallots and eggplant from leaking in flight, senders in Vietnam should use this three-layer packing method:
Step 1: Pour off some liquid and choose a strong jar
- Don’t fill the brine right up to the rim. Leave a 3–4 cm gap so the gas has room to expand.
- Use rigid, purpose-made plastic jars with tight screw caps. Avoid cheap, thin plastic jars that dent easily.
Step 2: Wrap with cling film and seal with tape
- Wrap cling film tightly over the mouth of the jar at least 5 times before screwing on the lid.
- After tightening the lid, tape it firmly around the lid and neck with wide tape so it can’t unscrew when shaken.
Step 3: Double vacuum-seal and add cushioning
- Put each jar in a heavy-duty vacuum bag and seal it. If any brine leaks, it stays inside the plastic bag instead of soaking through the carton.
- When packing the carton, line it with bubble wrap so the jars don’t knock against each other.
Canadian customs rules on bringing food into the country
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) controls imported food very closely to protect biosecurity.
- Ingredients: Food must not contain meat, eggs, dairy or other ingredients from land animals. Pickled shallots, mustard greens and eggplant are purely vegetable, so they clear customs more easily.
- Labels: For homemade products, write the product name in English or French on the outside of the vacuum bag so inspectors can easily identify it.
- Import duties: With Soleil Transportation’s dedicated service, the rate from $16/kg includes all import duties, so the recipient in Canada simply waits for door delivery with no hidden costs.
Tracking and receiving your parcel in Canada
Once shipped, both sender and recipient can track the parcel online with the order or booking number. Status updates are also sent automatically by email, SMS or Zalo.
After about 7 to 12 business days, the parcel is delivered in Canada. In Toronto, Mississauga and nearby Ontario, you can choose to collect it from the Soleil Transportation warehouse at a time that suits you.
- Canadian warehouse address: 2446 Cawthra Road, B1U8, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5A 3K6
- Flexible payment: The recipient in Canada can pay by Interac e-Transfer, credit card or cash, or the sender in Vietnam can pay by bank transfer.
For more advice on which foods you can send and an accurate quote for your parcel, call our toll-free line +1 888-998-5199 or email the details to info@soleiltransportation.com and our team will help you as quickly as possible.
