Jim Belliveau

Yes, you usually do. Here’s more info: http://forrager.com/faq/#home-address

I don’t think you can sell from your retail store, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask the ag dept to see if they will allow it.

No. It refers to things like maple syrup and sorghum syrup.

Eli, jams and jellies sold under the cottage food law need to adhere to CFR 21 — this requirement is listed in the law itself and cannot be overridden by a health dept. So the short answer is no, what you are doing is not legal. You need to use a commercial kitchen to produce low-sugar jams. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

Certain cottage foods cannot be sampled in their prepared state, such as dip mixes. The ability to sell roasted coffee does not include prepared coffee, but some states do allow the sale of coffee and tea because those are low-risk items. You should contact the ag dept to learn about the rules for selling prepared coffee.

I believe that you would need a commercial kitchen to sell either pizza or pasta. You can’t use the cottage food law. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

Are you not able to create a domestic kitchen because you have pets, I assume?

I’d recommend that you start by selling your jams and chutneys locally with the basic cottage food law, before trying to sell online.

If you want to sell online, I don’t know of any loophole that would prevent you from needing to get a commercial kitchen and properly…[Read more]