Is homemade jam a cottage food in Minnesota?

By Dwight Davis, Founder

Updated October 2026

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Registration in 2026: two tiers Proving your jam is safe on the shelf Every jar changes hands in person, inside Minnesota What changes on August 1, 2027 Labels, signs and your website MDA licensing contacts Getting ready for a Minnesota market season References

Yes. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) names "certain jams and jellies" among the foods you may sell under the cottage food exemption, and its fact sheet lists "canned foods like jams, jellies, and pickled vegetables" [1] [2]. The condition is that the jam is non-potentially hazardous: a pH of 4.6 or lower or a water activity of 0.85 or less [1]. You must register with MDA every year before you sell, complete training for your tier, stay under $78,000 in a calendar year, and hand every jar to the buyer yourself, because cottage food for people cannot be shipped until the law changes on August 1, 2027 [1] [3].

Registration in 2026: two tiers

	Tier 1	Tier 2
Gross sales a year	$7,665 or less [1]	$7,666 to $78,000 [1]
Registration fee	Free [1] [4]	$50 [1]
Training	MDA online training and exam, every year before you register or renew [1]	Approved food safety course once every three years, through University of Minnesota Extension [1]

Registration expires each year and must be renewed [4]. Sales above $78,000 in a calendar year take you out of the exemption [1].

Proving your jam is safe on the shelf

MDA does not say which jams qualify by name, so the test is the number. MDA's guidance describes three ways to verify it: use a recipe that has been laboratory tested (many university sites publish them), send the product to a laboratory for pH or water activity, or test it yourself with a pH meter or a water activity kit [3].

University of Minnesota Extension lists jams and jellies among the foods that "should be tested," while noting that the cottage food law itself "does not require testing of your cottage food product" [5]. Testing is still the sensible course, and it matters most for the edge cases:

Low-sugar jam. MDA does not address it. With less sugar, the safety case rests on the fruit's acidity, so a verified pH of 4.6 or below is the condition to meet [1].
Pepper jelly and jams with vegetables. Not named. Peppers are low acid, so the finished jelly must reach the pH limit. Have a process authority review any pepper jelly you plan to sell; see pepper jelly.
Fruit butters. Not named. Pumpkin butter cannot be safely home canned and should never be sold as a shelf-stable product; see pumpkin butter.
Freezer jam. Not addressed by MDA. Ask before you sell any jam that depends on refrigeration or freezing.

How to take a reliable reading is on measuring pH.

Every jar changes hands in person, inside Minnesota

You may sell from your home, at a farmers market or at a community event, and you must be physically present at the booth [3]. You may advertise online and take orders and payment there, but "the food must still be provided to the customer in person," and you must personally deliver to the customer's home if you deliver at all [3]. Cottage food for people may not go by mail or commercial carrier [3]. Home-canned foods "must be both made and sold in Minnesota" [3].

Stores are closed to you. "Cottage foods cannot be sold from a retail location or store, even if you are present," including a pop-up table, unless the store is hosting a farmers market or community event [3]. Wholesale needs a food license [3].

What changes on August 1, 2027

A 2025 law takes effect August 1, 2027: one registration tier for everyone, a $30 yearly fee, shipping allowed within Minnesota, and advanced training for all registrants [3]. MDA says it will begin implementation planning in 2026 [3]. Until that date, the 2026 rules above apply.

Labels, signs and your website

Each jar needs your name or business name, your address or your cottage food registration number, the date made, the ingredients with allergens, and the statement "These products are homemade and not subject to state inspection" [3]. QR codes cannot replace required label information [3]. Post "These foods are homemade and not subject to state inspection" at your booth, and the label statement on any website you sell through [3] [1]. The federal elements are explained on what a jam label must say.

MDA licensing contacts

Call MDA licensing at 651-201-6062 or email MDA.Licensing@state.mn.us [1]. The official page is MDA's Cottage Food Law Guidance [3]. Checked against MDA's pages in October 2026.