or click here for the PickYourOwn.org starting page
Additional Cottage Food Home Business Information
- Cottage Food Regulations by state
- Forming your business - links to each state's Secretary of State's Office website
- Local state departments of health.
- FDA Food labeling information - May be superseded by your state's requirements
- Guidelines for Determining Metric Equivalents of Household Measures (October 1, 1993)
- Massachusetts's Food Processors Resource Manual - a practical guide for specialty food and start-up food processors published by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. The marketing and practical tips can be very useful to a cottage food kitchen in any state. The chapters are available online and as a downloadable document PDf format
- Taxes - collecting, reporting and remitting sales taxes on cottage food sales.
- Contact information to each state's County Extension Offices - they often have classes on home food preservation
Specific Fruit and Vegetable Picking and Preserving Guides and Recipes
After you go to Illinois County Ext Offices - scroll down the page, you may want to freeze, can or preserve the fruit or vegetables you get there. See these pages below for detailed, illustrated, step-by-step instructions that make it easy!
Looking for canning equipment and supplies?
Water bath canner with a jar rack
Pressure canners for gas, electric and induction stoves: Presto 23Qt or T-fal 22Qt
Canning scoop (this one is PERFECT)
Ball Blue book (most recent version)