“Cottage Food” Producers Boiling Mad At North Dakota

I've had a big garden for years and years, but never had the desire to do any "canning" of my crops.  Mostly, I'm not a good gardener- so my harvests are not large enough to justify a canning operation. We should also take in to consideration that I'm just too darn lazy to do it. If I happen to get a bumper tomato crop I just give all the extras away.

But many folks love the whole process, from planting and growing to picking and processing.  These hard workers and talented cooks make up the "Cottage Food" industry.  Some of which in 2020 are kinda cheesed off at the state government for over-regulating the industry. What is the industry?

23-09.5-01. Definitions. As used in this chapter: 1. "Cottage food operator" means an individual who produces or packages cottage food products in a kitchen designed and intended for use by the residents of a private home. 2. "Cottage food product" means baked goods, jams, jellies, and other food and drink products produced by a cottage food operator.

So there's no inspection of your cooking area and you can only make foods expected to be eaten at home. Click here for more.

Some producers are so cheesed they're suing the great state of North Dakota. I smell  a story of runaway government regulations crushing the dreams of hard working Americans!

Or maybe I'm smelling Botulinum Spores.  Not cool.  Take another peek here and then come on back.

So you can process and prepare a ton of different foods.  Jams, Jellies, pies,  candies, coffee beans, pasta, ketchup, pickles, churros, candy apples...it's a huge list really. Even raw chicken like I get from the Hutterites. Delicious!

But back to the bacteria and Botulinum Spores which in the proper environment can create a deadly toxin. Says here a great environment to start with is moist low-acid foods.  Like the ones the new regulations are looking to...um, regulate?

So we read a little and learned a little...maybe the big bad government's not so bad.  This time.