News @ Noon: Law Change Lets You Buy Local Pickles, Salsa Year Round

ST. CLOUD - If you have a favorite local salsa maker, or baker, you can now buy more of their delicious treats. Minnesota made a change to the state's Cottage Food Law back in July of last year.

Extension Education Suzanne Driessen says now food makers are not restricted to just farmers markets.

In the previous law, you could only sell these cottage foods at community events like farmers markets. And now you can actually sell them all year long directly from your home.

The Cottage Food Law includes foods that can be kept out on the counter, and do not require refrigeration, including: jams and jellies, salsas, pickles and baked goods.

Driessen says now you can also sell your products online, but you have to sell directly to the consumer and you cannot ship it to them.

The amount of food sold has also increased, the previous law capped the total gross sales per person per year at $5,000, the new law increased the cap to $18,000.

(Driessen is speaking today (Thursday) in St. Cloud at the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association Conference.)