Jams, jellies, marmalades, fruit butters, syrups and conserves
Mason jarsRequired for canned goods
Add acidFor low-acid fruit
No pumpkin butterNot allowed to can
Approved recipesNCHFP / USDA / Extension
1What’s covered & what needs more
Covered under this path
Fruit jams, jellies, preserves, conserves and marmalades
Apple butter, fruit syrups, maple syrup, peaches in syrup, pepper jelly (if enough acid)
Boiling-water-bath canning in Mason-style jars
Needs a different path
Pumpkin butter → not allowed as a canned cottage food
Low-sugar/low-acid fruits (e.g., elderberry) with a ‘standard’ ratio → need a tested recipe
Corn or green-bean relishes without added acid → acidified rules + safety plan
Wholesale or resale → licensed facility
2Three steps to compliant sales
A
Use a tested recipe
Follow an approved recipe exactly, or add enough sugar/acid to hit the safe range (jam/jelly with a standard sugar-to-fruit ratio for high-acid fruit). Low-acid fruit like elderberry needs a tested recipe.
B
Register & pack
Cottage registration + CFPM. Water-bath process in Mason-style jars. Pressure canning is for low-acid foods, which aren’t allowed under cottage law.
C
Label & sell direct
Full cottage label incl. sub-ingredients (e.g., pectin, fruit juice), processing date, net weight, registration #. Sell direct inside Illinois.
3Quick-reference table
Item
Rule
Regulator
Approved recipes
USDA/NCHFP/Extension recipes followed exactly — no substitutions.
IDPH
Canning method
Boiling-water bath only; Mason-style jars.
IDPH
‘Can I can it?’ (IDPH list)
YES: pepper jelly (with acid), apple butter, blackberry preserves, strawberry-rhubarb jam, maple syrup, peaches in syrup. NO: pumpkin butter.
IDPH
Label must-haves
Operation name + local government unit; registration # + county/municipality; common name; every ingredient (incl. sub-ingredients) by weight; federal allergen labeling (milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, soy, fish, tree nuts, shellfish, sesame); processing date (month/day/year); net weight; and the home-kitchen statement.
IDPH / local health dept
4Frequently asked
Can I sell pepper jelly?
Yes if enough acid is added and you follow a tested recipe or process.
Can I sell pumpkin butter?
No, it can’t be canned as a cottage food (too dense and too low in acid).
Can I change the fruit in an approved jam recipe?
No — substitutions void the approval; use another tested recipe.
Where can I sell them?
Direct to consumers anywhere in Illinois — farmers markets, online, delivery, pickup — but not wholesale.
Printable checklist
CFPM + registration
Tested/approved recipe on file for each product
Boiling-water bath in Mason-style jars
Full label with sub-ingredients
Processing date + registration # on every jar
No pumpkin butter or unacidified low-acid canning
Register with IDOR; grocery tax by delivery address
Home-kitchen notice at point of sale online
Sales tax: Groceries: Illinois’ 1% state grocery tax ended Jan 1, 2026, but many cities and counties (Chicago included) now levy their own 1% local grocery tax — check the rate for each delivery address. Register with the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) through MyTax Illinois.
Selling on a marketplace: Cottage-food sales must be made by the registered operator (or a listed family member/employee) directly to the consumer, inside Illinois. Online listings work when the operator is clearly the seller and the home-kitchen notice appears at the point of sale. A platform can list and take payment, but should not take title, repack, or distribute the product.