By Alexander Soule

It took a few years, but at long last Connecticut “foodpreneurs” can preheat their kitchen ovens to cook up family favorites for commercial sale.

They better get the car warming up, as well, because under Connecticut’s new “cottage food” rules, there is no easy recipe for getting those products to buyers.

In October, the state Department of Consumer Protection began accepting applications under a new “cottage food” law from those looking to sell food made in their home kitchens. The new regulation prohibits food entrepreneurs, however, from selling through stores or otherwise distributing through the mail or via third-party delivery services such as Postmates or Uber — even if selling online.

State law previously required all food vendors to use commercial kitchens, with a few exceptions for farms and charitable bake sales, a significant startup cost that discouraged some entrepreneurs from taking on the risk of attempting to launch a business.

While retail stores are offlimits for distribution of homecooked products, farmers markets are fair game, giving budding businesspeople one outlet to win wider notice, but one that requires staffing a table one or more days during the seasonal run of any farmers market.

The Connecticut law was driven by outgoing state Sen. Melissa Ziobron, R-East Haddam, who saw it as a way for entrepreneurs to test their ideas prior to taking on a commercial kitchen lease or simply as a way for people to generate extra

Matthew Brown / Hearst Connecticut Media The Stamford Downtown Farmers Market