For home-kitchen (cottage) vendors

California Cottage Food Guide

If you make food in your home kitchen, California's Cottage Food program lets you sell certain shelf-stable, non-hazardous foods. Here's what's on the state (CDPH) approved list, what isn't, and the rules that apply to jams and jellies. Selling at Frost Shop Marketplace also requires a Temporary Food Facility permit at the event — we'll walk you through both.

✅ What you can make & sell

Baked goods
Non-potentially-hazardous only — no cream, custard, or meat fillings.
e.g. Breads, biscuits, cookies, churros, tortillas, waffle cones, pizzelles
Candy and confections
Shelf-stable candies and confections; no potentially hazardous ingredients.
e.g. Brittles, toffees, chocolate-covered nonperishables
Extracts
Alcohol-based extracts containing at least 70 proof (35% food-grade ethanol).
e.g. Vanilla extract
Dried, dehydrated, and freeze-dried foods
Shelf-stable dried/dehydrated/freeze-dried items. Meat and potentially hazardous foods excluded.
e.g. Dried fruit, dried herbs/tea, granola, trail mix, freeze-dried candy
Frostings, icings, fondants, and gum pastes
No eggs, cream, or cream cheese.
e.g. Buttercream-style (shelf-stable), fondant, gum paste
Honey and sorghum syrups
Honey and sweet sorghum syrup.
e.g. Honey, sweet sorghum syrup
Fruit butters, jams, and jellies21 CFR Part 150
Must comply with the standards of identity in 21 CFR Part 150.
e.g. Fruit butter, jam, jelly, preserves
Nuts, nut mixes, and nut butters
Shelf-stable nuts, nut mixes, and nut butters.
e.g. Roasted nuts, trail mix, peanut/almond butter
Powdered drink mixes
Made from manufactured / commercially processed ingredients.
e.g. Hot cocoa mix, powdered lemonade
Vinegar and mustards
Shelf-stable vinegars and prepared mustards.
e.g. Flavored vinegar, mustard

🚫 Not allowed under Cottage Food

Pickled or acidified foods — Not a Cottage Food product — require different processing controls.
e.g. Pickles, chutneys, salsas, acidified vegetables
Foods requiring refrigeration (TCS) — Potentially hazardous / temperature-controlled-for-safety foods are not allowed.
e.g. Cheesecakes, cream/custard fillings, fresh salsa
Meat, poultry, and seafood — Not permitted under the Cottage Food program.
e.g. Jerky, canned meats, fish

Jams, jellies & fruit butters — 21 CFR Part 150

Fruit butters, jams, and jellies must meet the federal standards of identity in 21 CFR Part 150. The essentials:

Fruit butter 21 CFR 150.110
Federal standard of identity for fruit butter (required fruit-to-sweetener proportion and minimum soluble-solids for a shelf-stable product). See source for exact figures.
Read the exact standard ↗
Fruit jelly 21 CFR 150.140
Federal standard of identity for fruit jelly (fruit-juice-to-sweetener proportion and minimum finished soluble-solids). See source for exact figures.
Read the exact standard ↗
Artificially sweetened fruit jelly 21 CFR 150.141
Federal standard for artificially sweetened fruit jelly — composition, optional ingredients, and labeling.
Read the exact standard ↗
Fruit preserves and jams 21 CFR 150.160
Federal standard of identity for fruit preserves and jams (fruit-to-sweetener proportion and minimum finished soluble-solids). See source for exact figures.
Read the exact standard ↗
Artificially sweetened fruit preserves and jams 21 CFR 150.161
Federal standard for artificially sweetened fruit preserves and jams — composition, optional ingredients, and labeling.
Read the exact standard ↗

Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Approved Cottage Food List and the electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), Title 21 Part 150. This guide is a plain-English summary; always confirm against the current CDPH list and with Mariposa County Environmental Health before you produce for sale. We check these sources regularly and update this page when they change.

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