Congrats! congrats!
Hang those ribbons proudly

I don't think too many get rich off ribbons, I know I worked my butt off for the 100.00 last year. But, I think those of us that enter are just as proud to hang the ribbons, give the crowd a nice showing, and have the bragging rights.

Congratulations on the ribbons. It is a Bragging Rights thing. I have made relish for years and never noticed it being crisp. Maybe the judges expected it to be a coarse ground. Do they taste the products? Our judges don't taste here and I don't blame them. Most canners I know process food as there Grandma's did. I talk to them about safety but, they look at me stupid. Were there other relishes you could compare yours to? What did they look like? I made a hot dog relish with dry mustard in it that is ground very fine. I surely wouldn't call it crisp.
I'm still working on my items to be taken in on Aug.6th. Our fair starts Aug. 12th.
Today I'll be picking my first crop of green beans. I need whole green beans, dilly beans and cut up beans. I'll do B&B pickles on Monday. I may have a few no-shows as this year the tomatoes must be whole and in pint jars. I seldom can whole tomatoes and never in pints.
There is no place for my Cinnamon apple rings. One category is for other fruit (except apple). The only apple product allowed is applesauce.
I will enter Linda Lou's apple pie jam in the 1 jam alone category. The 3 jam category will be Blueberry, Strawberry and Apple pie jam. I'm trying for 23 items. I may be shy a few.

Wow, Elaine, that's so wonderful for you! I, too, am curious to know whether judges are tasting, or judging based solely on appearance.

I hope you have a fabulous way to display your ribbons!

Cathy, in DC, where there is no ag fair

Seems to me the judges would have to taste it in order to determine the texture wasn't crisp. I love the canned sweet pickle relish but hubby prefers the Claussen because it is...crisp. It is in the refrigerator section of the grocery store.

I will only eat the Claussen or my own canned relish. I've had too many vile sweet relishes from commercial brands off the shelf.

Congratulations on your awards.

I hate that our Glenn County Fair is in the 2nd week of May. The cooler weather is nice for the 4H animals but there's not much entered in the fresh fruits & vegetable category. I am working now for some things to enter next May. We have to state on the label whether BWB or PC as well as all ingredients and processing method. All soft spreads must have a UPC label for Ball pectin as well as Ball jars, lids and bands to win this award. If we do PC, we have to state on label cooking time and pounds.

We missed the fair entirely this year, things have been so crazy with me trying to figure out how to run the farm without Dad.

Here the fair stopped giving premiums, so it really IS for bragging rights. They'd better look out next year, Makayla says she wants a "best of show" ribbon like her Mom got a couple of years ago for that rhubarb pie, LOL.

Annie

And Elaine, congratulations! For a while I saw fewer and fewer entries in the fair and then suddenly it started picking back up, I love to see all the stuff at the fair and compare it to my stuff.

And my relish is never crisp, I don't know what that's all about...

Annie

This is the first year that Ball isn't sponsoring our canned goods. I think it is more fair this way. Next year I'm going all Golden Harvest jars and lids. With my luck, Ball will be back next year. I did win the award 2 years in a row but, that was 20 years ago. I got 2 cases of Ball jars and the latest Blue Book.
What's crazy is, no quart allowed this year. That leaves out my elderberries, veggie juice cocktail and canned tomatoes.
I did use all Ball jars and lids though as I started my collection last fall when I did most of my canning.

Thanks, everyone! Last year was my first time entering and I did notice that there were more entries this year. But nothing like I remember when I was a kid at the Fresno County fair. Seems like the whole side of the exhibit hall was canned items then.

They do taste the items before judging. I have to take two identical jars, labeling them with the process and processing time. I don't know what she (he?) meant by "not crisp", but I know the texture is as nice and unform as any store bought relish. And I diced it all up by hand, didn't use a grinder. Oh, well, we like it and it did go ahead and get a 1st!

The best award in preserved items (other than jam/jelly) was a jar of bread and butter pickles that were floating! I missed out making mine in time and mine don't float!

Still, it's lots of fun and I like the looks of people at work that still want to know "you made that?" hehe

Elaine