How to harvest, pack & keep food safe (eggs, honey, bakes, preserves)

Safe food at a roadside stall starts with calm and clean. A simple little routine is all you need: wash your hands, wipe benches, use food-safe tubs, and try to keep a “money hand” separate from your “food hand” (tongs are great for this). Work in the cool and in the shade where you can. On stall day, think a bit like a café – bring perishables out when you need them, then pop them back into the esky between customers.

Harvest early, pack gently

Mornings are kindest to lettuce, herbs, and flowers. Pick into shallow crates or baskets so nothing gets squashed at the bottom. For leafy things, a quick dunk and spin keeps them perky, then dry them well so they don’t sweat in the bag.

Herbs love a trim and a jar of cold water in the shade. Tomatoes prefer a gentle wipe, not a wash – water can damage their skin and shorten shelf life. Pack produce so it can breathe:

Paper bags or paper wraps
Vented punnets
Loose elastic-tied bundles

If you wouldn’t be happy buying it yourself, don’t put it out. A few good-looking bunches are better than a table of tired vegetables.

Keep it cold, clean, and covered

An esky with ice bricks (and a little fridge thermometer if you have one) is your best mate. Aim to keep higher-risk foods cold and out of the sun, and rotate stock “first in, first out” so older items are sold first.

On the table, think shade and cover:

Use an umbrella, marquee, or tree shade where you can
Pop price cards and labels into clear sleeves to keep them clean
Keep a small kit handy – wipes, hand sanitiser, spare bags, gloves, labels, and a clean tea towel

It doesn’t need to look clinical, just cared for.

Eggs: collect daily, sell your best

Collect eggs at least once a day (more often in hot weather). Before selling, check each one. Don’t sell cracked or dirty eggs – those are for home use only.

Dry-clean only – use a soft brush or cloth to protect the natural bloom
Store pointy end down, out of direct sun, ideally somewhere cool
Use cartons for protection and labelling

Add a laid-on or packed-on date to each carton and keep the oldest at the front of your stack. If any eggs get too warm at home or in the car, move them to the “family use” box rather than the stall. Better to be safe.

Honey: clean jars, simple labels

Honey is fairly forgiving, but the jars and lids need to be spotless. Use new lids only. Fill when the honey is warm and flowing nicely, wipe the threads, then tighten firmly.

Label clearly with:

Variety (if you know it), e.g. “Bush honey” or “Yellow box”
Net weight
Packed-on date
Your name and a contact

Keep jars in the shade – heat and light will dull the flavour and colour. Crystallisation is completely natural; you can note it on the label if you like. A short safety line helps families: “Raw honey – don’t feed to infants under 12 months.”

Bakes: choose low-risk goodies

For an unplugged stall (no fridge humming away), stick to low-risk home baking: plain cakes, slices, biscuits, and loaves. Anything with fresh cream, custard, or soft cheese needs reliable cold storage, so it’s usually easier to skip those for a roadside setup.

Bake in a clean kitchen, let everything cool completely, then wrap or box to keep dust and bugs off. Label each item with:

Name of the bake
Ingredients in order of quantity
Allergens in bold, e.g. Contains: gluten, eggs, dairy
Baked-on date
Portion size or weight (if you know it)

It doesn’t have to look like a supermarket label, just clear and honest.

Preserves: trusted recipes only

With preserves, lean on reliable recipes and clean gear. Hot-fill into warm, sterilised jars, use new lids, and check once cool that the “button” on each lid is down and sealed.

Good stall candidates include:

Jams and marmalades
High-sugar dessert sauces
Pickles and chutneys with a proper vinegar ratio

Avoid low-acid home-canned vegetables or meats for a simple roadside stall – they’re better kept for properly controlled setups. Store finished jars somewhere cool and dark until stall day.

Label with:

Name of the product
Net weight
Ingredients (and allergens)
Batch or packed-on date
A sensible best-before date

Display with care

On the stall, think “fresh and steady” rather than “overflowing”. Keep delicate things like eggs and bakes in the shade, and bring out smaller lots at a time rather than piling everything up.

Use risers or shallow crates so things don’t roll or tip
Keep eggs and bakes away from full sun and hot car doors
Use a simple note for cold items: “Please ask – we’ll fetch from the esky.”

People are happy to wait a moment if they know you’re keeping their food safe.

End-of-day habits that keep you safe

When you pack down, a few small habits make tomorrow easier:

Wipe tubs and crates
Wash knives, tongs, and boards
Air-dry cloths and tea towels
Note what sold quickly and what ran warm

Anything that spent too long in the heat becomes family dinner or chook treats, not tomorrow’s stock. A quick reset now means you start the next stall day tidy and confident.

A tiny food-safety checklist for the glovebox

Clean crates/tubs, paper bags, spare labels, and a marker
Esky + ice bricks + little thermometer
Tongs, wipes, sanitiser, clean tea towel
Shade for the table, clear sleeves for signs
FIFO note: oldest to the front, perishables swapped in and out of the esky

Keep it simple, steady, and neighbourly. Set up your routine once this week, and you’ll be ready to sell safe, good food whenever the zucchinis or the jam cupboard overflow.