A complete breakdown of allowed, restricted, and prohibited foods under New Hampshire's Homestead Food Operations program — updated for the 2024 and 2025 law changes.
Under New Hampshire's Homestead Food Operations program, products fall into three categories. Both tiers (unlicensed and licensed) share the same allowed product list — the difference is where and how you sell, not what you can make.
A category-level view of what's allowed — items marked amber require a process review or specific testing.
⚠ = process review, lab testing, or Class H license required before selling
New Hampshire's homestead food program is built on a single foundational principle: the food you make must be shelf-stable at room temperature. These are called non-TCS (Temperature Control for Safety) foods — meaning they won't support the rapid growth of dangerous bacteria when stored at room temperature. Foods that need refrigeration to stay safe are considered "potentially hazardous" and are not allowed under this program, regardless of tier.
The boundary between allowed and prohibited often comes down to two measurable properties: pH (acidity) and water activity (Aw). Foods with a pH below 4.6 are acidic enough to inhibit bacterial growth. Foods with water activity below 0.85 don't have enough free moisture to support pathogen growth. When either threshold is met, a product is generally considered shelf-stable.
Many borderline products — custom jams, acidified salsas, moist sweet breads, hot sauces — require a process review before you can legally sell them. A process review is an evaluation by a licensed food processing authority who confirms your product's safety and shelf-stability.
Products that require a process review include:
To find a licensed food processing authority in New Hampshire, contact DHHS Food Protection at [email protected] or 603-271-4589. They maintain the current list of approved reviewers.
The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) at the University of Georgia is the gold standard for home-canning and jam recipes. If you use an NCHFP-approved recipe exactly as written (no substitutions), you generally do not need a process review for jams, jellies, and most preserves — though pepper jelly is an exception and always requires review in New Hampshire.
Use only the exact recipes from the National Center for Home Food Preservation to skip the process review for standard jams, jellies, and preserves. No substitutions allowed.
Visit NCHFP →NH DHHS Food Protection is happy to consult on whether your specific product is considered potentially hazardous. Call or email before you invest in production.
📧 [email protected]
📞 603-271-4589
If you want to produce and sell your own honey or maple syrup, contact the NH Dept of Agriculture — these products are regulated separately from the homestead food program.
📞 603-271-3551
NH Dept of Agriculture →Use SellFood's Compliance Checker to get a product-specific assessment for New Hampshire.
Describe your product and get an instant assessment of whether it's allowed under New Hampshire's homestead food rules — including whether a process review is needed.
Create Free Account to Use This Tool →List your New Hampshire homestead foods, generate compliant labels, and reach buyers across the Granite State — free to start.
Create Your Free Store → View Permit Requirements