Thinking about selling our sauces & mixes

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Kay Nein

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Well, 9 months into this innkeeping gig I've developed a much loved muffin recipe. I get asked for the recipe often and don't mind giving it out. But, I'm considering selling the muffin mix in an attractive gift-type packaging (and than never giving out the recipe again). It's your basic flour, baking powder, sugar & cinnamon ingredients - they add all the liquids.
I also have a great peach sauce that we serve on waffles that people just swoon over. I want to start jarring that for sale also (not until next peach season... wish I had stockpiled more when they were in abundance!)
So, my questions are:
  • How do you determine expiration dates? The dry mix would be completely different than a sealed, jarred sauce.
  • Have you any experience with packaging that you can say "stay away from this" or "this worked great"
  • What price points have you found sold best? I understand that I need to consider cost of ingredients - that's a given... but have you found that your items sold better when at a certain price point?
Any other feedback you may have would be appreciated. Never sold packaged food before so I don't know what I'm up against. Our kitchen is inspected by the health dept so I expect that we can sell food products, but I will be calling to verify that.
Thank you!
 
Your peach sauce may require a commercial kitchen. Whatever the hoops - best of luck and may Murphy break a leg on his way to your house. Wishing you more than a little success.
 
K9 said:
Our kitchen is inspected by the health dept so I expect that we can sell food products, but I will be calling to verify that.
I think it is a grand idea, but inspected by health dept and commercial kitchen are diff animals, selling retail vs cooking for guests. That should be the first call. We have talked about this before, what about those selling canned goods at farmer's markets?
I am inspected here and may host functions, but may not operated as a restaurant, then total different rules apply. Let us know what you find out!
 
Of course, things I didn't think about. That's why I asked. I'll let you know what I find out
 
Verify you really can sell anything made in your kitchen to be consumed and/or used off site. Rules are wacky about that.
The dry mix will more than likely be subject to bugs getting into it in someone else's cupboard so see if you can find packaging that seals with glue rather than tying a bow on it.
Your state extension service can tell you how long the peach sauce should last under ideal conditions. Once opened, it's probably 2 weeks as you won't be filling it full of unnatural preservatives.
I can't sell anything I make in my kitchen so I don't know about pricing. What I would say is the nicer the pkg, the higher the price.
I think Eric sells his jams and jellies so he may have an idea on that.
 
You will need to check with your local health dept and state reg. agency to see if you can do this from your kitchen. Some states will not allow this. So don't do anything until you check.
 
Verify you really can sell anything made in your kitchen to be consumed and/or used off site. Rules are wacky about that.
The dry mix will more than likely be subject to bugs getting into it in someone else's cupboard so see if you can find packaging that seals with glue rather than tying a bow on it.
Your state extension service can tell you how long the peach sauce should last under ideal conditions. Once opened, it's probably 2 weeks as you won't be filling it full of unnatural preservatives.
I can't sell anything I make in my kitchen so I don't know about pricing. What I would say is the nicer the pkg, the higher the price.
I think Eric sells his jams and jellies so he may have an idea on that..
I haven't yet done it, but since it's not available to the public, it's like a bake sale, at least around here. If I were to sell it commercially, that might be different, but you have to be a guest here to be able to get it.
 
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