Florida Cottage Food Law · 2026
Can you sell jams and jellies from home in Florida?
YES — Allowed
Yes — traditional high-sugar fruit jams, jellies, and preserves are allowed. Low-sugar versions, fruit butters with low acidity, and vegetable-based products are not.
Why yes?
Florida allows jams, jellies, and preserves made from high-acid fruits with standard sugar levels, because sugar and acidity make them shelf-stable. Strawberry, blueberry, guava, and citrus jams are all classic Florida cottage foods.
The caution: this allowance is specifically for traditional recipes. Low- or no-sugar jams, and products made from low-acid ingredients (pepper jellies are a common gray area, vegetables generally not allowed), may fall under canning rules that cottage food law does not cover.
Florida Cottage Food Law: Key Facts
Updated July 2026- Permit required: None — no license, permit, or FDACS registration for cottage foods
- Legal basis: Florida Statute 500.80
- Annual sales cap: $250,000 gross per year
- The rule: Only non-potentially-hazardous foods (safe at room temperature)
- Sales channel: Direct to consumers in Florida only — no wholesale
- Labels: 6 required elements, including the cottage food statement
How to sell jams legally
- 1Use tested, traditional high-sugar recipes with high-acid fruits
- 2Water-bath processing for a good seal is fine — pressure canning products are not cottage foods
- 3Label with net weight in both ounces and grams
- 4Florida fruit angle sells: guava, calamondin, mango, and strawberry lead the market
Storage & refrigeration
Jams & Jellies qualifies because it's shelf-stable — safe at room temperature. Keep it that way: the moment you add a cream or custard filling, fresh dairy, or anything that needs refrigeration, it stops being a cottage food. Store and transport jams & jellies at room temperature and it stays compliant.
How to label jams & jellies
Every package of jams & jellies you sell needs a compliant label with all 6 required elements:
- 1Your cottage food business name and address
- 2The product name
- 3Ingredients, listed in descending order by weight
- 4Net weight or quantity
- 5Allergen declaration (milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish)
- 6The cottage food statement (exact wording, below)
“Made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Florida's food safety regulations.”
This statement must appear word-for-word.
Where you can sell jams & jellies in Florida
Cottage food is sold direct to the customer, within Florida. For jams & jellies, that means:
✅ Allowed
- Farmers markets, fairs & events
- Home pickup and local delivery
- Online, phone & mail order — delivered in Florida
🚫 Not allowed
- Wholesale to stores/restaurants for resale
- Selling or shipping outside Florida
- More than $250,000 in gross sales per year
Pricing jams & jellies for profit
Add up your cost per unit (ingredients + packaging), multiply by 3–4× to cover your time and overhead, then sanity-check against what similar makers charge locally. Undercharging is the single most common mistake — your time is a real cost, not a freebie.
Free recipe cost calculatorCommon mistakes to avoid
- Underpricing — not counting your time, packaging, and market fees
- Missing a required label element, especially the exact cottage food statement
- Adding a filling or frosting that needs refrigeration, which quietly turns compliant jams & jellies non-compliant
- Selling across state lines or wholesale to a shop for resale
- Losing track of the $250,000/year gross sales cap
Not sure about a different product?
Check any food against Florida's rules in seconds with our free tool — then price it and label it with the rest of the toolkit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell sugar-free jam?
+
No — low-sugar and sugar-free jams do not have the sugar/acid profile that makes traditional jam shelf-stable, so they are not covered by the cottage food allowance.
Are pepper jellies allowed?
+
Pepper jelly is a gray area because peppers are low-acid. Many makers get their recipe verified or choose fruit-based jellies to stay clearly inside the law. When in doubt, ask FDACS.
People also ask about
Official Florida sources
FDACS — Cottage Foods
Florida Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services — the official cottage food program.
Florida Statute 500.80
The cottage food law itself, on the Florida Legislature's official site.
This is general educational information, not legal advice. Cottage food rules change — always verify current requirements with FDACS before you sell.
Ready to start selling?
Get the step-by-step startup guide, free pricing tools, and a spot in Florida's cottage food directory.
Educational information, not legal advice. Verify current requirements with FDACS. Based on Florida Statute 500.80 as of 2026.