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Product guide · shelf-stable category

Candy and confections under cottage food rules

Candy is often allowed, but state rules differ on chocolate work, fresh-fruit coatings, alcohol, and dairy-based products.

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What this category means

Shelf-stable confections such as hard candy, caramels, fudge, brittle, and chocolate-covered items.

Common examples

  • Hard candy
  • Peanut brittle
  • Fudge
  • Caramel
  • Chocolate bark

State matrix

This table shows the narrow category result, not a full recipe review. Only the state with a completed source review is shown here. Additional states remain under review.

State Status Boundary
Ohio Potentially allowed Candy from the statutory list; exclude fresh-fruit coatings and restricted confectionery variants; include the home-produced statement.

Where the category breaks

A product can fit the broad category and still be outside a state's home-food pathway. These are the first boundaries to check.

  • Alcohol-containing confections
  • Fresh fruit coatings or products requiring refrigeration
  • Chocolate or confectionery coatings restricted by a state
Refrigeration, meat, low-acid canning, fermentation, alcohol, and process-authority products are outside this screening tool even when the base category is allowed.

Label and allergen notes

  • Name the product by its common or usual name.
  • List ingredients and allergens, including nuts, milk, soy, and wheat.
  • Check whether the state restricts chocolate, fudge, or caramel products.

A label builder can organize the fields, but it cannot decide whether your ingredients, claims, or production process are allowed.

Official sources