certifying the kitchen #4

The kitchen inspector came over yesterday for a consultation.  She was very nice, full of good information, and not "threatening" on any level.

Yesterday's visit was a "consultation," and I came away from the interaction feeling okay about the household set-up.  We have separated home and business food processing in a way that didn't ring any alarm bells for the inspector.  Good.

However, it seems as though my preserving interests head into dangerous territory.  Even the not-too-sweet-kinda-savory jams I like to do are considered "acidified foods."  They require different approvals and certification.

The pickles I make also are considered "acidified foods."  I call them "live culture" foods, and I have no problem telling everyone who wants to buy them that they need to be refrigerated.  It's possible for me to get a domestic license to produce these pickles as I had intended.  It's just that it sounds like the jams I like to make also would need to be refrigerated -- even though they have been properly heat-processed and have plenty of sugar in them.  They just don't have enough sugar in them.

I feel bummed.  I feel isolated.  I would not need to spend another $600 in equipment if I were part of a community of food developers.  I don't know how one becomes a part of such a community when one has a young child.  But let me say this outloud yet again:  I would like to *share* the costs of an NTEP scale, a good pH meter, a wide-range Brix meter, and the costs of buying jars in bulk (because the shipping charges are outrageous). 

I just feel really bummed tonight. Why is it so hard to bring interesting food to market? 

 

Comments

[Anne Linn]

I would love to buy some of the things you make when they become available, and if my budget allows it. Are you planning on putting them online?

Keep going. We need interesting and healthy food!

[Stephanie]

As an observer to this situation, I find it frustrating. I'm all for safety, but it seems like the small business food purveyors get the short end of the stick while big companies get a pass. >:-(
I sure hope this all concludes positively!

[growingcurious]

Thanks, Stephanie.

Anne Lin, I don't know if I'll offer the pickles and jams online. Perhaps someday when I'm able to tackle shipping issues.

[Taylor]

Do you have an extension service for your area? Often they have "Master Preservers" who might be able to hook you up with that group...

[growingcurious]

Taylor, I'm familiar with the Master Preservers program, which isn't as robust in the Portland area as it once was. Perhaps that will change since so many people are interested in preserving lately.

When I bring acidified foods to market, I'll need to go through Better Processing School, which is run by the Dept of Agriculture and the Oregon State Extension service, but -- pretty much -- now I'm dealing directly with the Dept of Agriculture. The Master Preservers program would send me along this route, too, because it's the only legal way to bring these sorts of foods to market in Oregon and across the country.

Preserving for home consumption is different from creating a food product to be sold to the public, and that's where I'm at right now.

My unusual jams, chutneys and sauces are processed very safely. In fact, I can be quite anal about following USDA guidelines because I very much want everything I make to be as "safe" as possible.

But I'm heading into different territory now that I want to make these available to the public.

That's what I meant when I used the phrase "dangerous territory." The Department of Agriculture categorizes certain preserves (depending on Brix, pH, processing method) as more "dangerous" than others and so they require additional vetting.

It's all do-able, but -- man -- for someone in my position (small farm, few resources, home kitchen), this will be a challenging experience.

[Amy]

It would be great to get a group together to share the costs of such an enterprise. I (very briefly) looked into something like this, but the pain, expense & time made me back away very, very quickly.

You could always sell your preserves on the black market! :)