Jennifer Lopez

Courtney, most states use CFR 21 as a standard for jams and jellies, but unlike most states, CA has it written into their law. Regardless of the laws, following CFR 21 is recommended to ensure the safety of your product. Low sugar jams and jellies are possible, but they may need to be refrigerated. You should contact the health dept to learn about…[Read more]

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

Paul, I know that some people roast coffee beans in their oven, but I don’t know how most people do it. It is possible to have your kitchen extend to other parts of the home (that aren’t sleeping areas), but I don’t know if a garage would be allowed. Assuming you’re in CA, you should talk with your environmental health dept about what they will allow.

It depends on what state you live in, but in almost all states, cheese cannot be an ingredient in any cottage food item. Baking dried tomatoes into bread will probably be allowed. Jalapenos are less likely, but possible if they’re baked in the bread.

Yes, you need to use a commercial kitchen, and you need to get the proper licensing and training from the health dept. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

Usually they’re not allowed. http://forrager.com/faq/#pet-food

No, cooked potatoes and cheese would not be allowed in cottage food items. You’ll need to use a commercial kitchen. 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.

It is true that some states allow you to withhold an address on a label if you are listed in a phone book. While I understand that it may be annoying for customers to show up uninvited, it’s worth noting that I haven’t heard of this becoming an safety issue for anyone. The “by appt only” sign is a good idea.

It’s true that lobbying plays a big part in the strictness of Texas. However, when it comes to canned goods, botulism is a major concern.

Thanks for letting me know. I’m looking into the problem, but for now, I just disabled reCAPTCHA, so it should work. Thanks for your persistence and patience!

Taylor, you can find business in any way you want, including using Facebook in a variety of ways. You can sell cakes as long as you follow all of the rules for Florida’s cottage food law: http://forrager.com/law/florida/

You won’t be able to use the cottage food law, since you are not baking the dough at home. Instead, it sounds like you will have to produce the dough in a commercial kitchen.