Which jams can I sell under Michigan's cottage food law?
Updated
On this page7
Michigan lets you sell fruit jams and jellies from your home kitchen with no license, registration or inspection, but only the kind federal law defines: the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) allows "Fruit jams and jellies (as defined in 21 CFR part 150) in glass jars that can be stored at room temperature" [1]. That one sentence rules out more than it seems to. Low-sugar jam, pepper jelly, fruit butters and freezer jam all fall outside it.
MDARD's jam list, line by line
| Product | Michigan cottage food status | MDARD's words |
|---|---|---|
| Standard fruit jam or jelly, canned in glass | Allowed | "Fruit jams and jellies (as defined in 21 CFR part 150) in glass jars that can be stored at room temperature" [1] |
| Low-sugar or no-sugar jam or jelly | Not allowed | "No low-sugar or no-sugar jams or jellies" [1] |
| Pepper jelly and other vegetable jams | Not allowed | "No vegetable jams/jellies (e.g., hot pepper jelly)" [1] |
| Herb, flower, wine or other non-fruit jelly | Not allowed | "No other non-fruit based jams/jellies" [1] |
| Apple butter, pumpkin butter, any fruit butter | Not allowed | "No fruit or vegetable butters"; also "No apple butter, pumpkin butter, or other fruit butters" [1] |
| Freezer jam | Not named; outside the allowance, which requires jars stored at room temperature [1] | |
| Preserves and marmalade | Not named on the page [1] | Ask MDARD |
The reference to 21 CFR part 150 matters. That federal standard of identity fixes the minimum share of fruit in a jam and a minimum sugar concentration, and a recipe that cuts the sugar below that line is no longer a standard jam, which is why low-sugar spreads drop out. The fruit groups and the math are on how much fruit the law requires in jam. Because MDARD's page names only jams and jellies, get a written answer before you sell preserves or marmalade.
The sales limit
MDARD says the limit "is currently gross sales up to $50,000 yearly," and that "$75,000 is allowable if the cottage food operation sells cottage food products at a price of $250 or more per unit" [2]. Few jam sellers reach $250 a unit, so plan on $50,000. The statute, MCL 289.4102 as amended by 2025 PA 51 (effective March 24, 2026), sets those figures "until October 1, 2026" and lets MDARD adjust them each October 1 after that [6]; if you are near the limit, ask MDARD for the figure in force this year. Above the limit, or to sell wholesale, you need a licensed food establishment [3].
Selling in Michigan, and only in Michigan
- In person at farmers markets, farm stands, roadside stands and similar venues, directly to the consumer [4].
- By phone, internet or mail order [4] [2].
- Through a third-party delivery platform, but only if you give the customer "an opportunity for a consumer to directly interact with the cottage food operation before the cottage food product is sold" [4].
- Inside Michigan only. "A cottage food product may only be sold or delivered within Michigan" [4].
- Never through someone else. No consignment, no wholesale, and no sales to a retailer or restaurant for resale; a retail market or farm stop cannot act as a go-between [4] [2].
Your jam must be stored in your primary residence [2]. You do not register with MDARD, though your town may require a business name filing and local zoning applies, and some farmers markets ask vendors for their own license [2].
MDARD's label list and the 11 point statement
MDARD requires these on every jar [5]:
- Product name.
- Your name and the physical address of your home kitchen (no PO box). If you enroll in the MSU Product Center's voluntary registration, you may print your registration number and phone number instead of your home address [5].
- Ingredients in descending order by weight, including the sub-ingredients of anything prepared you used, such as a commercial pectin.
- Net weight or volume, with "the metric equivalent" [5].
- Allergens, using the federal "Contains" format [5].
- The statement: "Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development," at least 11 point (about 1/8 inch tall) in a color that contrasts with the background [5].
Hand-printed labels are acceptable if legible, in permanent ink and large enough [5]. The federal side of the label is explained on what a jam label must say.
Reaching MDARD's cottage food staff
Send cottage food questions to MDARD-CottageFood@michigan.gov with your zip code, or call MDARD at 800-292-3939 [2] [1]. The official page is MDARD's What Can I Make? [1]. The rules above were last verified in October 2026.
When your jam outgrows the exemption
If low-sugar spreads, pepper jelly or shop sales are in your plans, you will need a licensed kitchen; MDARD's path starts at its Become a Licensed Food Processor page [3], and the steps are on moving to a licensed kitchen.
References
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, What Can I Make?, not dated (2026); viewed October 2026. https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/food-dairy/cottage-food/what-can-i-make
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Getting Started and FAQ (cottage food), not dated (2026 update); viewed October 2026. https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/food-dairy/cottage-food/getting-started-faq
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Become a Licensed Food Processor, not dated; viewed October 2026. https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/food-dairy/cottage-food/become-a-licensed-food-processor
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Selling and Samples (cottage food), not dated (copyright 2026); viewed October 2026. https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/food-dairy/cottage-food/selling-and-samples
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Labeling (cottage food), not dated; viewed October 2026. https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/food-dairy/cottage-food/labeling
- Michigan Legislature, MCL 289.4102, as amended by 2025 PA 51, effective March 24, 2026. https://capitol.legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-289-4102.pdf
