#91925
Jul 17th, 2007 at 08:37 AM
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 378
Member
|
OP
Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 378 |
Tomorrow I am entering some things in the fair. I even took the day off of work. But I am depressed about it all since last year some things were so much better! As you can see from my signature I had big onions last year and they are half the size this year. I am even having dreams about it it is bothering me so much. Anyway a few things stand a chance and I am also entering flowers and jam and cookies. Tomorrow I will dig my first taters and see what is under there. I wish I could use xray vision! :wink: Does anyone else enter the fair? With what? and what pointers do you have?
|
|
|
#92042
Jul 17th, 2007 at 11:19 AM
|
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,183
|
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,183 |
Tamara, I was thinking about entering the state fair. I made some nectarine jam, that I just love, and was wondering how you know if something is worth putting in the fair? There is no foam and the fruit (for the first time ever) isn't floating on the top of the jam. Are you usually there for the judging? Is this your state fair or a county/city thing? On the positive side, if you had a bad year, a lot of others probably did too. So maybe you have the best of the bad-year produce! Good luck!
Sarah - Zone 5b/6
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 30,473 Likes: 61
Northern Star
|
Northern Star
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 30,473 Likes: 61 |
Good luck with the fair, wish we had something like that around here.
P.S. Sarah, fruit floats from not enough stirring while cooking. If you notice you have alot of gel and less fruit, stir it for a few minutes after cooking before pouring it in your jars. that works also. Foam is decreased also if you add a dab of butter in your jams while cooking.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 378
Member
|
OP
Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 378 |
I do know what they look for in jam after not doing so well last year. They want it thick and gel-y with a clean rim and the proper amount of head space. They want good color and texture on the fruit with a good glow to the jam. Thanks for the good wishes! I will probably find out Thurs or Sunday or Monday.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 378
Member
|
OP
Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 378 |
I spent ALL DAY getting my stuff ready. What a futile exercise, but I had fun. I entered 17 things and it was hot and humid today and so it was a lot of work and a lot of standing and waiting for all of them to be entered. I think I have a fair chance.(oh no pun intended) I entered flowers too and that was more of a challenge. Hopefully I can learn some things.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 30,473 Likes: 61
Northern Star
|
Northern Star
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 30,473 Likes: 61 |
Good luck, waiting to hear some news.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 378
Member
|
OP
Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 378 |
Ok I finally got to see how I did. They wouldn't let me pop in Thursday and then Friday an old man let me through but the building wasn't open for 20 more minutes. So tonight I had to pick up the entries and I did pretty well. I got 11 first place, including 3 reserve champions, 4 second place and 1 third place and my haricot verts got nothing (I don't think they knew what they were). So I got a check for $36 but took a whole day off work to prepare. It was fun and I am proud of my ribbons. They liked my garden collection basket, my sweet pea bouquet and my pouring container with sweet peas and bellflowers best. The jam still had problems this year. It was thick and pretty but they said 5 minute process time was not enough. I have been using that strawberry recipe for 4 years and the new raspberry recipe is from a book reprinted in Gourmet magazine. But whatever; I can say 10 minutes next year. Well I am pretty proud of my ribbons. My husband should be excited for me.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,953
|
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,953 |
Wow, Tamara ! I'd freak out to get a blue ribbon for anything ! I think you did great !
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 30,473 Likes: 61
Northern Star
|
Northern Star
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 30,473 Likes: 61 |
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 16,245
TweetyBird
|
TweetyBird
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 16,245 |
"haricot verts " Your whats???
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 30,473 Likes: 61
Northern Star
|
Northern Star
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 30,473 Likes: 61 |
That is 'green beans' in french Wrennie.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,953
|
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,953 |
Skinny little green beans that you pick before they get too big.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,183
|
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,183 |
Wow, that is great, Tamara! I bet your name will strike fear in many hearts when you enter next year!! I just might put my jam in the fair. I was a good girl, for a change, and measured out the headspace to a half inch and I processed the stuff for 10 minutes. It is so pretty and I'd say it glows. There isn't much for fruit in it though, most of the nectarines cooked down to lots of little bits. This is the first jam I've made that called for butter and it really did help with the foam!
Sarah - Zone 5b/6
|
|
|
Forums65
Topics14,312
Posts240,868
Average Daily Posts3
|
Members16,007
Most Online10,356 Nov 2nd, 2019
|
|
|
|