Jams, jellies, fruit butters, and marmalades sold direct to Iowa customers
Jams, jellies, and fruit butters qualify as cottage food when each batch is confirmed at pH 4.60 or below (or water activity 0.85 or below) using a calibrated meter — standard high-sugar preserve recipes usually clear this easily, but low-sugar or fruit-forward recipes should always be tested, not assumed.
Include the processing/canning date along with your contact info, common name, full ingredients, and the exemption statement required for all Iowa cottage food.
The statute requires producers to provide batch testing documentation to a regulator on request, so keep a simple log of pH/water-activity readings by batch and date.
| Item | Rule | Regulator |
|---|---|---|
| Jams, jellies, marmalades | Cottage food eligible; batch-tested pH ≤4.60 | Iowa Code 137F.20 |
| Fruit butters | Cottage food eligible; batch-tested | Iowa Code 137F.20 |
| Labeling | Name/contact, common name, ingredients, processing date, exemption statement | Iowa Code 137F.20(2) |
| Batch testing | pH meter or water activity meter required per batch | Iowa Code 137F.20 |
| Documentation on request | Batch records available to regulator/buyer | Iowa Code 137F.20 |
Yes — the statute calls for each batch to be measured, since natural variation in fruit acidity and sugar content from batch to batch can shift the final pH even with an identical recipe.
Yes, but reduced-sugar recipes are more likely to land above the safe pH/water-activity threshold, so testing is especially important — don't sell a reduced-sugar batch without a confirmed reading.
Use a basic two- or three-point calibration with standard buffer solutions before each testing session; many extension offices can advise on affordable, food-safe meters.
Both — Iowa's cottage food label rule specifically requires the processing/canning date to appear on the jar itself, not just in your internal log.