If you're willing to can for food banks and have access to a commercial kitchen, follow these tips:
1. Contact your local food bank to see if they accept jars canned by individuals in a commercial kitchen.
2. Arrange an inspection with your county health department, which must inspect and certify the kitchen for commercial use every year. (The kitchen must have an industrial dishwasher that heats water up to the required 170 degrees, among other things.)
3. Get a food-handler permit. Someone with the permit must supervise all the canning sessions.
4. Apply for grants or seek donations of canning jars, fruit, sugar, and pectin to make the jams.
5. Another thing to remember: You must have ample storage and freezer space to store the donated jamming ingredients and finished product.
(Above tips taken from an article about Jammin' for the Hungry by Laura McCandlish in The Oregonian, July 21, 2009)
Sara also says: Check with your state department of Agriculture or Health, or whatever agency covers food production. It can be confusing when to go to the state for a license, and when to go to the county.
If you start or already run a project like this, call us at Pomona's (413-772-6816) and we can give you a special price on bulk pectin.
If you have more specific questions, you can contact Sara at: saragpower@gmail.com
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