Colorado cottage food jam rules now and after January 1, 2027
Updated
On this page9
Yes. The Colorado Cottage Foods Act names "jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butter" among the foods you can make at home and sell directly to an informed end consumer [3]. Today the key condition is training: you must complete a food safety course before you start [1] [3]. But the rules are about to change. The Tamale Act (HB26-1033) takes effect January 1, 2027, adding annual registration with the state, a new label and a single $150,000 yearly cap in place of today's $10,000 per product [4]. Its food list also drops every pepper jelly [5]. This page sets out both versions so you can plan the 2027 season now.
The rules in force through December 31, 2026
- Training before you start; the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) lists three accepted course options [1].
- No cottage food registration. CDPHE only directs you to register the business at mybiz.colorado.gov for tax purposes [1].
- A cap per product. The statute limits you to "net revenues of ten thousand dollars or less per calendar year from the sale of each eligible food product" [3]. CDPHE confirms each flavor counts as its own product: you can earn up to $10,000 each for blueberry, peach and so on [1].
- Direct sales only. The food must be "delivered directly from a producer to an informed end consumer" and must "Not involve interstate commerce" [3]. A designated representative may sell for you at multiple locations and events [1]. Nothing can be resold, so shops and restaurants are out [1].
- Online sales are allowed, with delivery arranged between you and the buyer as long as it stays inside Colorado [1].
What changes on January 1, 2027
| Through 2026 | From January 1, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | None for cottage food [1] | Register with CDPHE, renewed annually [4] |
| Training | Course before starting [1] | Training certificate required to register [4] |
| Sales cap | $10,000 per product per year [3] | $150,000 total per calendar year [4] |
| Label additions | Home kitchen and allergen statements [1] | Also a CDPHE registration number, the county where the food was made, your contact information, the production date and a department website [4] |
| Pepper jelly | Out only if made with fresh or homemade dried peppers [1] | All "pepper jams or jellies" not approved [5] |
CDPHE had not yet opened 2027 registration when this page was checked; its registration link was marked "Coming Soon" [7]. Watch the Tamale Act pages for the form.
Pepper jelly, and why Colorado is tightening it
Today's ineligible list names "Pepper jelly or jams made with fresh peppers or homemade dehydrated peppers" [1]. The list does not say whether a jelly made only with commercially dried pepper flakes qualifies; ask CDPHE in writing before you sell one. From 2027 the question goes away. The new eligibility page puts "pepper jams or jellies" with garlic in oil, hot sauces and canned salsa under foods "that require a specific pH and thermal process for food safety" and are not approved [5]. The reason is chemistry: peppers are low-acid, and a pepper jelly is safe only when it is properly acidified. See pepper jelly.
Pumpkin butter: a conflict to resolve before you sell
CDPHE's 2027 food eligibility page lists "Fruit Butters (Apple Butter, Pumpkin Butter, Peach Butter)" as approved [5]. Colorado State University Extension's Food Smart Colorado program says "there is no safe process available for making pumpkin butter from canned puree" [2], and the National Center for Home Food Preservation says the same of any home-canned pumpkin butter, which has tested as high as pH 5.4 [6]. Do not read the 2027 list as approval to sell canned pumpkin butter on a shelf. Ask CDPHE whether it means a refrigerated or frozen product, and get the answer in writing. More on pumpkin butter and other low-acid spreads.
Low-sugar jam and processing at altitude
Neither CDPHE nor the statute addresses low-sugar or no-sugar jam [1] [3]. CSU Extension warns that sugar has "a function in the safety of fruit spreads" and that changing the amount "could have detrimental effects on safety and quality" [2]. Use a tested low-sugar recipe as written, or ask CDPHE before you sell one. Freezer jam is not addressed either.
Altitude matters in most of Colorado. CSU says "Processing times and temperatures must be adjusted for altitude" [2]. Use the altitude chart from the same source as your recipe; see canning at altitude.
Colorado label and point-of-sale wording
Through 2026, display this at the point of sale [1]:
"This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection. This product is not intended for resale."
The statute requires the first sentence on the label as well [3], and CDPHE says the label must note that the product may contain common allergens; never call a cottage product "allergen free" [1]. From 2027, add the new items in the table above [4]. Federal elements are on what a jam label must say.
Getting answers from CDPHE
CDPHE's Cottage Foods Act page and its 2027 Tamale Act pages are the official sources [1] [7] [4] [5]. The statute is C.R.S. § 25-4-1614 [3]. CSU Extension's Food Smart Colorado program covers safe processing [2]. Neither CDPHE page names the license for a jam maker who outgrows the act; ask CDPHE and see when you need a licensed kitchen. This page was last verified in October 2026.
Planning your 2027 product line
The new cap rewards a wider line, and the new pepper rule removes one popular jar. Rework your plan with how to price jam, and compare Colorado with other states on selling jam in your state.
References
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Cottage Foods Act, not dated (viewed October 2026). https://cdphe.colorado.gov/cottage-foods-act
- Colorado State University Extension, Food Smart Colorado, Jams, Jellies, Preserves and Fruit Butter, not dated (label updated 2022; viewed October 2026). https://foodsmartcolorado.colostate.edu/food-safety/cottage-retail-foods/jams-jellies-preserves-and-fruit-butter
- C.R.S. § 25-4-1614, Colorado Cottage Foods Act (text via Colorado Public Law, current through fall 2025), viewed October 2026. https://colorado.public.law/statutes/crs_25-4-1614
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Cottage Food Act: Updates (2027 Tamale Act), not dated (viewed October 2026). https://cdphe.colorado.gov/dehs/cf/2027-tamale-act/colorado-cottage-food-act-updates
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 2027 Tamale Act: Food Eligibility, not dated (viewed October 2026). https://cdphe.colorado.gov/dehs/cf/2027-tamale-act/food-eligibility
- National Center for Home Food Preservation, Beware: Pumpkin Butter, December 7, 2012. https://nchfp.uga.edu/blog/beware-pumpkin-butter
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 2027 Tamale Act, not dated (viewed October 2026). https://cdphe.colorado.gov/dehs/cf/2027-tamale-act
