Cooking oils & herb/garlic-infused oils
Plain pressed cooking oils with no fresh additions are shelf-stable and cottage-eligible with no special handling.
Garlic- and fresh-herb-infused oils must be refrigerated and sold under the Homestead Vendor law's TCS pathway, not the older shelf-stable cottage rules.
Use a tested acidification method (citric acid/vinegar) recommended by food-safety extension resources, and keep cold-chain records from bottling to sale.
| Item | Rule | Regulator |
|---|---|---|
| Plain cooking oil, no additions | Cottage-eligible, no license | IC 16-42-5.3 |
| Garlic/fresh-herb infused oil | Homestead Vendor TCS pathway | IC 16-42-5.4 |
| Refrigeration | Required for infused oils | ISDH |
| Acidification method | Tested recipe recommended | Purdue Extension |
No – untreated garlic/herb-in-oil at room temperature is a well-known botulism risk; it needs refrigeration and the Homestead Vendor TCS pathway.
No – plain oil with no fresh additions is a simple shelf-stable cottage good.
It explicitly folded garlic-in-oil and similar TCS items into a legal cottage pathway, provided you follow refrigeration and food handler requirements.
A tested acidification protocol is strongly recommended to manage the real botulism risk in any oil holding fresh garlic or herbs.