@CreBobble

That’s not quite right… anything that is not shelf stable is not allowed, but not everything that is shelf stable is allowed. For instance, pickles are one of the items that can be shelf stable but are not yet allowed. The law currently doesn’t allow for bottled/preserved veggies.

As far as medicine goes, I really don’t know if that falls under…[Read more]

Yes, cupcakes are allowed.

When you bake a cake, the egg gets cooked into the batter and that’s allowed. Basically, if your product needs refrigeration, as would be the case with a custard, cheesecake, or cream pie, then it isn’t allowed. Standalone milk and dairy products, like yogurt, cheese, etc. are not allowed, but you can incorporate…[Read more]

Collette, I’m not exactly sure what your question is. Are you wondering if your home kitchen can be a commercial kitchen, or if you can legally operate under the cottage food law with your home kitchen?

I can tell you that you can’t become commercially licensed from your home kitchen, and you will have to accept the restrictions of the cottage…[Read more]

The law says “A cottage food production operation shall not process acidified foods, low acid canned foods, or potentially hazardous foods.” Beyond that, the state doesn’t really have much published online about this.

The technical rules that Ohio probably follows are described in Part 150 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

However,…[Read more]

That would not be legal as far as the cottage food laws are concerned. You must use only your own kitchen to prepare cottage foods.

However, I know that personal chef websites are becoming more popular. There may be some way for the family to hire you as their chef, and then you use their kitchen to make them food. So instead of selling them the…[Read more]

Yes, this is correct for direct sales only. However, some counties are taking awhile implementing this change. For your indirect sales, the rules haven’t changed.

I don’t know of any efforts already underway, but usually amendments have to start at the grassroots level. If you are interested in getting more involved, I can put you in touch with an organization that can help you start a campaign. Almost all cottage food laws have started by someone like yourself taking initiative.

It’s not a gray area… drinks simply aren’t allowed.

No, items with peppers are not allowed.

That’s all correct. You could still try contacting your health dept to see how complicated it would be to serve coffee… you might not need much more than a sellers permit. Montana has actually specifically allowed hot coffee and tea in addition to their cottage food items.

You would not be able to sell there, because of their policy.

The cottage food laws are only for items that are intended for consumption. I’m not sure what the rules are for selling lotions, but I believe it’s possible to do from home. I’d recommend calling your health dept to learn more.