I don't think it's a good idea to even think about "sneaking" something past airport security, for several reasons. That's what the "bad guys" do, and even though what you're thinking of trying to conceal is quite benign, in my opinion that would put you in the same category as the bad guys. And let's hope that our government is smart enough to have a routine in place that can't be thwarted by anyone and everyone. At least for MY protection, LOL.

I know that it might be inconvenient, but maybe you can have a friend or relative take you shopping on Friday or Saturday, and you can pick up your gift then. It doesn't have to be anything unusual. Fresh fruit anytime of year, in or out of season is a beautiful and thoughtful gift. I understand that you may want this to be served at the Thanksgiving dinner, but that may not be possible.

Of course, by mail, nearly anything is possible. Harry and David has exquisite fruit and although the presentation may be lacking (due to necessary packaging), I have never had any problem with them at all.

After my visit to the Maytag Dairy, I wouldn't hesitate to order and send their cheese. Pair the blue cheese with Lindac's dressing recipe, and make it for them while you're there. It's delicious! It was their extra sharp cheddar that I paired with the Honeycrisp apples that got me so excited, and Honeycrips may be easy to find locally once you get there. If you have the wine figured out and are just looking for which cheese to send, that would be a winner IMHO.

You can check any food (even booze provided it's not huge amounts of high-proof stuff--the TSA website has the restrictions listed) but it can get tossed about a bit. (It's a little nerve wracking to entrust a few hundred dollars worth of birthday Scotch to baggage handlers, but I digress...)

You can carry on just about anything that's not liquid (or otherwise banned). Airport security has no interest in food packages. Or anything, really. My sister brought frogs through. Food is fine. You only need to worry about food for domestic travel when you're dealing with Hawaii. But normally, there is no agricultural checkpoint.

If your friends like to cook, how about a selection of items from Penzy's?

I guess I didn't read into your post that you wanted to 'sneak' something past security, but it's not a bad idea to find out ahead what you can and cannot bring on board.

Food and food-related items are not listed as prohibited items, but a quick call to the airport/airline to ask specifically would be a good idea. You would likely have to pack it in checked luggage.

Linda

Here is a link that might be useful: TSA rules on food items

Yeah, I wasn't thinking about trying to sneak food through, but wondering about just trying to get it through. I guess you can ship wine fine, I'd be worried about it breaking. I'd wrap up the quick breads and I'd just be worried about what might happen if my "unusual" items got flagged for a search. I'm just worried about them getting wrecked, not me being arrested or something like that. Also wondering about jams and pickled items going through security. Would they be classified as "liquids."

This is fabulous cheese. There are several varieties but I think the "Cougar Gold" is the best.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cheese.

You will have to check any thing that is liquid, even things like pickles and jams. Don't even try to get it past security. I had some dills in my carry on once, never thought about the liquid and it was confiscated....wonder how they liked my dills?

You will be OK with any solid food , cheese, breads, spices, candy, baked goods etc.

What about putting together a themed basket such as cheeses, crackers, bread sticks and pack some pepper jelly in your luggage. Just remember it all has to fit within your carry on limits which are one small suitcase ( measurements on your airlines website), one smaller carry on bag such as a laptop and your purse.

When I travel I carry a BIG purse! LOL

Your other option would be to mail your Mom everything and pick it up on the other end.

As an aside, sometimes the rules really make me wonder. I can't take liquid through security but I can pick up booze at the duty free "on the other side" of security and carry it on board. I can't take my rug hook on board but I can take the duty free wine bottle which would make a hell of a weapon if deliberately smashed.

Have a great T day holiday

Ah WAZZU cheese...I'm all for supporting them!

And yes they make good stuff!

I think food would be fine wrapped in anything non dangerous..so nothing glass...and in your carry on. I don't know that I'd check it..might come up missing..LOL

Or send something along in a flat rate box..you can usually load them up pretty good for the price.

Jams and pickled items with the liquid in the jar would be classified as liquids so you can't carry them on (unless they are in containers less than 3 oz and fit in your one quart zip lock with your toothpaste and such). If you are checking luggage, they are allowed.

Carrying on a non-liquid, non-gel food like a quick bread is fine. Even oranges don't appear to bother them even though the are a fairly liquid fruit inside their skins.

I'm not sure why your initial post mentioned customs - are you located outside the US? I've never had customs give me any problems about baked goods.

Barnmom, I posted a link to Cougar Gold, since your link didn't actually work (for me). It's AMAZING to me that you mention what fabulous cheese it is, because this is the other cheese I was thinking about when I mentioned Maytag. My niece (who attended WSU) brought me a wheel of it one year and we were Very Impressed with it. It's buttery, delicious cheese; whereas the Maytag is sharper/drier. I've been thinking about ordering some for myself, so Thank You for reminding me about this! My order's going in today.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cougar Gold

Well...I may be a bit prejudiced....but Maytag Blue makes a great gift! I currently have 4 2 poundw heels in my refrigerator for my son to take back to Chicago to use as gifts.
And the white Cheddar at Maytag is very good currently, as is the extra aged yellow Cheddar.
And they make a nice cheese spread....and it comes in such cute little crocks!
However, I have often had a wedge of blue cheese in my carry on questioned, because in X-ray it looks a lot like plastic explosive.
I would recommends ending a 2 pound wheel, because you get a lot of cheese for your buck and then picking up some Michigan apples when you arrive.
Appels and cheese ! Yum!
Linda C

I have a hard time justifying paying all that money to send fruit when excellent MI and PA apples can still be had in Nov. When I was a kid, when we went to visit friends and relatives who were "city folk" we would always stop at the excellent orchards just outside of town and pick up a bushel of whatever apples were good that year, and a couple of gallons of fresh cider. Sadly, all those orchards have closed down. I still know where to finds some good local fruit, but I'm doubtful about it weathering the plane trip, even as my carry-on, in stellar shape. It might though, I'll have to think about it. I'll have to ask my folks if they have any good fruit stands in town anymore. It is really a terrible shame, IMHO, to see those great farms of my home town go under. Seems like the kids just can't make a go of it.
Thanks for the good cheese tips! Claire, Terri and Barnmom, thanks for the tips about WSU cheese, although your post got me looking online and my alma mater, MSU's dairy also sells cheese online. Fairly pedestrian offerings though, which is to be expected I guess, from my uber-conservative alma mater. But the family friend's dad and my dad went to MSU together, so MSU cheese would probably be a hit just due to that.
Maytag blue would be a preference for me, but my family is made up of some foodies and a fair number of meat and potatoes don't give me anything with any flavors except salt and sugar types. I've even wondering about bringing wine to what may be a mostly tetotaling or beer crowd.

I misspoke about customs. I just meant regular airport security.

Here is a link that might be useful: Michigan State U. Dairy Online

I just went to visit my parents in Florida (and flew out of Allentown by the way).

Literally half of my suitcase was food - jams, dried fruit, jars of Annie's salsa, a bottle of local wine, two loaves of zucchini bread and even two vacuum sealed bags of venison filet mignons. I told the nice man at TSA security "If you have sniffer dogs, they'll love my luggage" and told him what was in there. He smiled and said "Sounds like your folks are going to eat really well!"

I travel with a WI cheese box nearly every time I visit something. Many kinds of cheese, including the aged cheddars that are always in my gift box, are fine without refrigeration for a week or so, as long as they're wax wrapped.

I recently went home with a home-made Guanciale in my carry on. The TSA dude passed it through the x-ray a couple times and I finally said: "You're looking at a cured pork jowl. It might be easier if you just open the bag and take a look at it." Which he did. He asked again what it was, and knowing it'd be pointless to say "Guanciale," because then I'd have to explain what Guanciale was, I said "It's pork. But it doesn't have the flu. I cured it myself." which got me a laugh and a wave through security.

There is, by the way, a reliable way to pack wine and oils in your luggage. Get one of these bags. They're padded and liquid tight. They're a little spendy, but if you find yourself buying wines or other liquids when you travel (as gifts on the way there or souvenirs for the way home), you can put them in your checked luggage without worry.

LOL. Visit someONE... not someTHING. My friends, as a rule, are not inanimate objects...