New to Canning

[MaryMead]

Hi there- I have discovered my great grandmothers secret mustard recipe and I'd like to try my hand at canning it and selling it at local farmers market. The recipe has egg in it, and no preservatives so I'm wondering how to even research how to can and sell.

If I successfully can this product is it safe not to refrigerate until opening? How do I determine shelve life. Lots of questions and I'm hoping there are others out there with answers. I'm trying to create a new avenue stream in these lean times.

Thank you all in advance.

[Snip 13]

Hi Mary :) Don't know what your recipe is so I can't comment on it but I have made many preserves.
You could try reading the book "Jam it, pickle it, preserve it by Karen Solomon"
It's a cheap book and is very useful for beginners.
Has loads of base recipes that you can modify too

[sparrowgrass]

I think your questions are so technical that I would not trust a website. Make a mistake, and you could end up killing someone.

Find your local Extension office, and ask their nutrition person to evaluate the recipe. You will have to divulge the secret--the specialist will not be able to evaluate the recipe with out ingredients and proportions. We do have a code of ethics that forbids divulging business secrets and other client information.

[dcSaute]

Originally Posted by MaryMead

Hi there- I have discovered my great grandmothers secret mustard recipe and I'd like to try my hand at canning it and selling it at local farmers market. The recipe has egg in it, and no preservatives so I'm wondering how to even research how to can and sell.

If I successfully can this product is it safe not to refrigerate until opening? How do I determine shelve life. Lots of questions and I'm hoping there are others out there with answers. I'm trying to create a new avenue stream in these lean times.

Thank you all in advance.

first you need to check on your state and local laws. in many areas you just can't cook something up in a home kitchen and sell it - you must prepare and package it in a commercial / aka "fully licensed / inspected / approved" facility. no, not very likely you can "convert" your kitchen.

some rules/regulations/laws/areas distinguish between sorta' safe stuff like baked goods but without a doubt "with egg" needs research.

>>How do I determine shelve life.
oh so many people think that "the government" is involved in Sell By, Use By, Etc By dating. with very very few exceptions (baby formula is one....) the Fed/states have no regulations or guidelines. it is up to the manufacturer to determine at what point in time the quality of the product has declined to an unacceptable level. state laws regarding the label language vary considerably - you need to research that.

[MaryMead]

Great ideas. Thank you for your response.

[MaryMead]

You are correct regarding the licensing. My friend has a licensed kitchen and she is going to do all the preparation. My job is to do the leg work and figure how we our answers. Thank you very much.