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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

Published state matrix

This table shows the narrow category result, not a full recipe review. Only the public verified state is shown here. Additional states remain in research preview and are excluded from search and advertising.

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 the first-release 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.

Sources used in the published matrix