I’ve been caning for quite a while and even have my ow farm stand where I sell a lot of my products, but for the first time this year I’m entering the county fair! I’ve chosen 12 products to enter an I’ve read a lot of tips online. But would love to hear tips from the county fair veterans! Any advice would be well appreciated!! Thanks!!
by Hairy-Atmosphere3760
6 Comments
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I received 3 blue ribbons last year. I looked at past year’s results to see which categories were over saturated and which had more room. I focused on the lesser saturated categories to improve my chances. My state and county taste every entry, which most don’t. Try to figure out if they taste or not. If not, focus hard on color, clarity, consistency, etc. Also, read the rules many times. I saw a lot of DQs for not following the jar labeling rules, covering the lid with fabric, etc.
I’m here to learn!
:: sits quietly ::
*(I will only say that my local does not allow labels on lids so… no entries from House McK, I suppose!!)*
Where do you live that your state allows you to sell acidified products like pickled onion? Do you have a commercial license?
In my experience, you need to be very picky about headspace- I got a canning funnel that shows the headspace markings so you can get things exact. You need to obviously use tested recipes from either ball or county extension, but beware that they aren’t always familiar with every recipe- I entered a dilled carrot pickle from a ball book and was told my processing time was wrong. On that note, make sure you have processing time and method on the label. Things that will help you stand out for the big ribbons are likely crystal clear jellies in pretty colors, unusual items, or stacking or displaying them in the jar in an interesting way. Newer products will be better than older- they typically all need to be done within a year, but obviously the 2 month old product looks fresher than the 11 month old product. Think about how you put things in jars- when doing pickles, I will make the dill head into a floral flourish on the side of the jar. It’s the little things that make a difference. Fundamentals must be correct, but then having a little artistry will take you further and think about what looks appetizing or visually appealing, consider do you have attractive labels and nice handwriting, etc. Everything counts, and usually the ones that do best are because the judge had immediate impact from the jar. You should get a danish blue if you follow a recipe correctly and have the correct headspace and things aren’t over or under processed with no air bubbles or glaring issues. At my fair, they give you scoresheets so you can learn what wasn’t quite good enough or where points were taken off and what they’re judging on, so that can help you learn after your first go.
I usually analyze my canning right after processing and see which one turned out best with best headspace, no bubbles, etc. and set it aside as a fair prospect throughout the year. I enter basically everything I make because why not? But I typically know which are more likely to be standouts in a category.
I entered for the first time at my fair and did well. There was no rule against labels so I made some for my jars. We have to include recipe. Our rules said only tasted if needed for final decision of placing. Make sure you follow their rules as it sounds like it varies, a lot. I tried different categories and flavors that are not usual. I got 6 blues (mulberry, elderberry, mint, wine jellies and blueberry, seedless black raspberry jams) and 3 reds (strawberry, blackberry, strawberry rhubarb jams) with mulberry and seedless raspberry winning best jelly and jam. Some categories didn’t have any competition so worked out. My chocolate cherry didn’t place as headspace was off.