Regarding homemade jams/jellies/perserves etc.

[Frozen Feathers]

Can I sell my homemade food goods? Is this legal?? I've tried to find an answer on Google, but it seems the Maine website is down.

I am going to be overloaded with Raspberry jam, and figured I might sell some to offset the cost of the jars/sugar and pectin. The raspberries were free..lucky us

but it did take time to pick them.

If I can, I'm going to bring some to Maine Chickenstock.

 

[ChickenToes]

I know that in Wisconsin, there are a few guidelines. I can't think of them off the top of my head, but I believe one is that you can't sell anything using a water bath canner, it all has to be done with a pressure canner.

 

[kbarrett]

If you're willing to ship I'll order a jar! DH loves raspberries!

If you charge me a little extra for shipping & handling and not the actual product you're only bending the law vs. breaking it.....right?

 

[tiki244]

PLEASE PLEASE I need some. I willl pay whatever you want and the mailing adress is in Maine. Albion. Probably pretty close to you. PM me!

 

[amyquilt]

OH ME TOO!!! Just let us know your price

I'm guessing you are using pint jars.... if so, 4-5 jars would fit in a flat rate priority mail box for shipping right at $9.

 

[firem3]

I'd be willing to trade you some good ole bama black berry jelly for your raspberry we dont get any raspberrys down here.

 

[firem3]

also i have never even had raspberry anything what does it taste like?

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Wow I didn't realize there would actually be a demand for raspberry jam.

I don't have that much...lol.

firem3 a raspberry taste like a raspberry.

Close to a blackberry, but more tart...hard to describe.

PS I would like to find out the laws before I start selling anything.

 

[All about the EGG]

If you sell a couple fine. But as a business, well, better have insurance, a company name etc. There is a fine line between the two, especially if someone gets sick and sues. Have fun!

 

[seismic wonder2]

Better safe than sorry. Check with the local Health Department. THey have all the rules for that sort of thing.

I can pretty much bet that in order to sell something like that you'll have to...

1. Be in a comercial kitchen that is inspected. (You can rent one for a few hours at a time from a caterer etc...)
2. Be a certified food handler. (usually a two hour course, followed by a 25 question test mine cost $25.00)
3. Have a business lisence and or business tax certificate.
4. A lable listing all ingredients, your name, business name and contact information.
There may be loopholes in these things by selling at the local farmer's market or swap meet, but I don't know.

If you keep your kitchen, pots 'n pans etc, absolutely sterile and only do a few jars here and there, you should stay under the radar. The don't really care about super small numbers. they DO care about mass producing selling 110 jars a week, that sort of thing...

I don't know about the mail order thing. I'm a personal chef, I don't do that.

Even if you don't sell food, I recommend EVERYONE go to a food handler's certification course. It has valuable information about the dangers of cross contamination, food borne illness, etc... that EVERYONE should know about even in their own kitchen.