wraavr: (Default)
2012-10-04 01:25 am
Entry tags:

Big E Results

 Huh, I haven't posted in a while.  Since the last post, I've harvested a whole lot from the garden; canned even more jam, jelly, pickles, salsa, and applesauce; pressure-canned tomatoes with [personal profile] okrablossom, entered things at the Big E in West Springfield and the Topsfield Fair in Topsfield, and gotten things back from the Big E.  Whew!

At the Big E, I entered peach jam, blackberry jam, gooseberry jam, sweet pickles, bread & butter pickles, and applesauce in the canning divisions.  I also entered a temari ball and a framed cross-stitch dragon in the needlework division.  I got a third place ribbon for the sweet pickles and second place ribbons for everything else.  Not too shabby!  Pictures will be under the cut.

The Topsfield Fair is under way, so I don't yet have a list of all the ribbons I've won.  I remember seeing first place ribbons on my applesauce and black raspberry jelly, and several seconds, thirds, and honorable mentions on other things I entered too.  The fair closes on Monday, so I'll have everything back on Tuesday and will have a full listing of my entries and prizes.  I entered the Saturday baking contest with quick bread, cake, and dessert bars, but I didn't place in any of those; that was disappointing, as I thought I'd done a pretty good job with the baked goods.  I guess they just weren't to the judges' tastes this year.  Oh well.  I'm entering the King Arthur Flour scone competition on Thursday night, and maybe also the Apple Pie competition on Friday.  Wish me luck!

Pictures from the Big E )
wraavr: (Default)
2012-07-13 10:31 pm
Entry tags:

How Many Cans Can a Canner Can if a Canner Can Can Cans?

Answer: Lots!

Now that summer fruit is ripening, it's time for putting things up: canning, freezing, dehydrating.

Now, if you can things, I think you should enter your jams, jellies, salsas, sauces, pickles, etc. in county fairs! I did last year, and I won prizes! Woo!

2011 fair prizes

More observant viewers will have noticed there's a distinctly non-canned temari sitting amidst the jars and ribbons; I entered that in one of the arts & crafts contests, and got ribbons for that too! There are also lots of contests for baking, quilting and sewing, knitting, crocheting, photography, art, and various kinds of crafts. If you enter something, you stand a very good chance of winning a prize. You might even get prize money!

Local fairs (with entry due dates) include:

  • The Big E (W. Springfield, MA) - Canning, Baking, Photography, sewing/quilting, knitting, crocheting, crafts - August 1 (late entry August 15)
  • Topsfield Fair (Topsfield, MA) - Canning, Arts & Crafts - September 3; Baking, Honey - September 26 (yes, the website is down as of post time)
  • 3 County Fair (Northampton, MA) - Canning, Baking, Arts & Crafts - August 20


More info on the fairs under the cut. )