Thomas Hackney

Ok, well thanks so much for replying and for the information…it was helpful!

Rules are often different for B&Bs. I’m not an expert on those laws, though I’ve heard that laws usually only allow B&Bs to offer food to customers on their premises. Some states don’t allow B&Bs to sell food to their own customers (even though they can serve the same food to them onsite).

Assuming that’s the case, then you probably need to…[Read more]

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

Maple syrup isn’t specifically mentioned in VA’s cottage food law, so I’m not sure if you’re exempt from inspection, though you may be. You can sell your maple syrup as a home food processing operation, but that requires an inspection. You should contact the ag dept about this.

Yes, if you’re using a licensed commercial kitchen and have the proper license from the ag dept, you can sell online. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

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

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.