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Georgia · Direct-to-Consumer Compliance · Category 22 of 24

Preserves

High-sugar jams and jellies (cottage eligible) vs. pickled or low-acid preserves (licensed facility required)

Dual-Path — Read Carefully
Cottage Food Eligible
Jams/jellies/butters
Licensed Facility Required
Pickled/relish/low-acid
pH and water activity
Risk factor
21 CFR 114 for acidified items
Federal Rule

What's Covered / What Needs More

✓ Generally Covered

  • High-sugar jams, jellies, marmalades, and fruit butters made and sold under HB 398's cottage food exemption
  • Selling cottage-eligible preserves direct, at markets, online, and wholesale to retail stores
  • Making pickled vegetables, relishes, or low-acid preserves only from a GDA-licensed commercial facility with a validated scheduled process
  • Completing Better Process Control School training before producing any acidified/low-acid preserve commercially

✕ Needs More / Watch Out

  • Assuming all 'preserves' are cottage-eligible — pickles, relishes, and chutneys with vegetables often fall below safe pH thresholds and need the same licensing as Canned Goods
  • Skipping a validated recipe/process for any acidified item, risking botulism
  • Shipping cottage-eligible jam out of state under the cottage food exemption
  • Skipping the one-time food safety course for the cottage-eligible portion of your product line

Three Steps to Compliance

A

Split your product line by risk

High-sugar, high-acid jams/jellies/fruit butters are cottage-food eligible under HB 398; pickled vegetables, relishes, and low-acid preserves need the same licensed-facility path as Canned Goods.

B

For cottage-eligible preserves

Complete the one-time food safety course, label with the home-kitchen disclosure and ingredients, and sell direct, online, at markets, or wholesale to retail stores under HB 398.

C

For pickled/low-acid preserves

Get a validated scheduled process from a process authority, complete Better Process Control School, and produce only from a GDA-licensed commercial facility — this product line cannot be made in a home kitchen for sale.

Quick Reference

Jams, jellies, fruit buttersCottage Food Eligible under HB 398, no license
Pickled vegetables, relishes, chutneysLicensed Facility Required — same rules as Canned Goods
Determining factorFinal product pH/water activity — verify, don't guess
Cottage revenue capNone
Federal requirement (acidified items)21 CFR 114 scheduled process registration
Biggest riskTreating a low-acid pickled item as if it were a simple jam

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all homemade jams cottage-food eligible in Georgia?
Yes, typically — high-sugar jams, jellies, and fruit butters are classic cottage food items under HB 398 with no license required.
What about pickled okra or chow-chow relish?
These are generally treated like the Canned Goods category — they need a validated process and a GDA-licensed commercial facility, not a home kitchen.
How do I know if my recipe is safe as cottage food?
When in doubt, get your recipe's pH/water activity checked by a process authority or Extension food scientist rather than assuming it qualifies.
Can I wholesale my jam to a local store?
Yes — HB 398 allows cottage food producers, including jam makers, to sell wholesale to retail stores and restaurants.

Printable Checklist

MarketStand · Georgia Producer Compliance Series
This guide is general information, not legal advice, current as of September 2026. Georgia's cottage food, meat inspection, dairy, egg, plant, feed, and alcohol rules change — always verify current requirements with the Georgia Department of Agriculture (agr.georgia.gov), Georgia Dept. of Revenue Alcohol & Tobacco Division, and your local health department before selling.
Primary sources: Georgia Dept. of Agriculture (Cottage Food, Meat Inspection, Egg Law, Live Plant Program, Feed/Pet Food Program); HB 398 (2025); Georgia Raw Dairy Act, O.C.G.A. §26-2-450 et seq.; Georgia Meat Inspection Act, O.C.G.A. §26-2-60; Georgia Food Act, O.C.G.A. §26-2-20; GA Dept. of Revenue Alcohol & Tobacco Division; FDA (DSHEA, MoCRA, FSMA Produce Safety Rule, 21 CFR 108/111/113/114).