kayskats - Yes, the "police" do show up at farmer's markets and farm stands, the state Dept of Ag can show up anytime (and have for several other vendors) to do a "surprise" inspection at your home kitchen, and yes, I do have to show my certification before I can sell at my quite small market (less than 30 vendors on any Saturday). The state also shows up to ensure that weighing scales have been calibrated within the last year, but that is another story. If you are caught selling BWB canned acidified foods when you do not have the cert. or are selling other stuff you shouldn't be (low acid, pressure canned, refrigerated, etc.), the Dept of Ag and the FDA could inflict very severe penalties on you and your market. We homegrown sellers have to follow pretty much what the rules are for commercial operations. One size fits all, US wide, but some states have lesser rules for farm stands and farmer's markets than my state does. Best to check with your Cooperative Extension office in your county and if they don't know, go on to your State Dept. of Ag. One comment one of my co-student's made was that if he didn't know what the rules were he would be safe from penalties. I don't think I'd buy anything from him, would you? Yes, please ask the sellers HOW their stuff was processed and if their kitchen was inspected, etc. We are consumers and should protect ourselves from bad stuff we might ingest. I even walk out of restaurants with a food grade less than "A". ksrogers - I think dry cured meats are regulated by another mega agency, the USDA. One of the vendors at my market raises cattle and hogs for cuts of meat he sells. He threw up his hands at the regs for slaughtering, curing, and/or freezing and now has a co-packer do it for him and THEY have to handle the USDA inspections and process filings which are really intense. >>I wouldn't go so far as to say that cured meat has no safety issues, because they do!Yes, I know, I make regular strawberry jam that is heated, but sadly it is not nearly as tasty as freezer jam. Horseradish, a low acid food, is not exactly stable and the pH acidification cannot be measured outside a food science lab according to my instructor, and that is why I can't sell it. It is not heated or pasteurized to eliminate bacterias, molds, and toxins, and "sealing" only means screwing on the cap. Refrigeration and acidification keep it stable and unable to grow the bad stuff because of refrigeration. That is also why it is sold refrigerated and you are admonished on the label to keep it refrigerated after opening. Commercial processors ship in refrigerated trucks from refrigerated manufacturing and storage facilities, and they go directly to the refrigerated section of the grocery store. That is something that can't be duplicated in a home processing environment or at an open-air market. Also, adding more vinegar doesn't necessarily make it safer because we can't measure the pH of the horseradish's vegetable interior at home, and with pH meters and test strips all we are doing is measuring the vinegar's pH. BTW - shelf stable jams and jellies are exempt from these regs because they have low water activity and a low pH. Since they are also packed at high temperatures, they are not likely to harbor harmful food borne illness organisms. Molds are the most likely bad thing to form but that is usually from not having sterilized the jars or not heating the lids enough (or, dirty hands packing them, airborne dust in a room with a fan, using overly ripe or moldy fruit, etc. etc.). I can sell as many variations of jelly and jam as I want at market. Without a cert. but with a kitchen inspection. Nancy

A combination of things has put an end to my bechamel days. First, the attempt to eat lower fat and calories, but also I have become increasingly sensitive to lactose, or something or other in what passes for milk these days. I was never a milk drinker and just don't use it enough to warrant getting raw milk, which I'm sure would help with the flavor and lactose issues. The last couple of times I have tried to make it I just wasn't satisfied and I think it has to do with the shelf stable milk I used, which is what I have on hand nowdays. I read the alternative recipes posted here with great interest. I find that mostly these days I just use a reduced liquid for my sauces, even pasta. Or just top with evoo and parm. or feta cheese.

This is a very slow forum. You'll get a lot more response by posting in the Cooking or Kitchen Table Forums.

d_gw - WOW!. I find it totally cool learning about the creative ways that people use to make a living. I think that is awesome. When I got married, many moons ago, we jumped the broom. I would have spent $350 on that broom. MAYBE. Well, probably not. I am cheap..... On the other hand, the brooms in your link are like works of art, and I love art! Which brings me to a art showing that I went to a couple of months ago. Half the exhibit consisted of a display of brooms from various time periods. On another note, I put my vacuum together this morning and I was so excited I decided to sprinkle some rice, bulgar wheat, cornmeal, and cherrios on the floor and see how it would handle. I recorded my results. There must be something seriously wrong for me to be so excited that I would post a video.... I first tried pencil shavings and cheerios with similar results.