FAQ about Zingerman’s food clubs
When will the first installment ship?
Whenever you’d like! Want to plan ahead and cross off an item on your gifting to-do list? You can choose a preferred arrival date in the future when you checkout online or when you give us a call. Otherwise, the first installment will ship on our next available ship date.
When will the rest of the installments ship?
After the first installment, the remaining club shipments will arrive every four weeks. If you’d like to change the delivery for any reason – maybe the recipients are traveling or maybe you want the shipments to occur every other month – we can make it happen! Just reach out to us and we’ll be glad to help.
How easy is it to change the address for one or more shipments?
Super easy! You can call, email, text or chat and let us know about the update. As long as it hasn’t shipped, we can change the address with a few simple clicks.
When am I charged for the club?
You’ll be charged the full amount for the club before the first installment ships out.
Are there printable cards for the food clubs?
Bacon 101
How is the bacon shipped?
In warmer months (early April to mid September), we ship bacon with two business day service plus warm weather care. The bacon may arrive warm, and that’s completely normal! Dry ice will evaporate, ice packs may melt, but they will have done their job of preventing the bacon from cooking on its journey.
The rest of the year (late September to the end of March), the shipping method will be flat rate service (1-4 business days).
My bacon arrived warm – is it safe?
If your bacon arrives at room temperature or warm – that’s totally okay! Your bacon can take the heat because it’s cured. Curing keeps meat safe by making it inhospitable to the microbes that would otherwise cause rot. Most commonly, this is done by salting, smoking, and drying. When cured slowly and traditionally, these techniques not only make the meat safe to keep, they also make it extra delicious.
If the packaging is puffy or torn, if the color looks grey or un-bacony, and/or if there are any unusual odors, then that means the bacon might not have survived the trip. Let us know and we’ll make it right!
But this bacon package says uncured – what does that mean?
In the U.S., “cured” is not just a word to describe salami, ham or bacon. It’s also a regulatory label enforced by the USDA. To count as cured in their eyes you have to use nitrates from specific sources. Salt and saltpeter count. Celery, beet, and spinach – all naturally occurring sources of nitrates – don’t, which is why you’ll often see the oxymoron “uncured bacon” on some labels. Let me assure you – uncured bacon is cured. You can’t make bacon without curing it. Uncured bacon would just be called pork belly.
How should bacon be stored?
You can store the bacon in the refrigerator or the freezer. Once the bacon is opened, it will be good in the fridge for about a week. Unopened bacon in the vacuum-sealed package will keep for about 3 weeks in the fridge and up to 12 months in the freezer, so seize the opportunity to stock up!