2009 HOME AND HERITAGE

CANNING AND FOOD PRESERVATION DIVISION

CHAIRPERSON: Nancy Cromer
CO-CHAIRS: Jenny Morris, Homemade Wines and Herbal Vinegars
COMMITTEE: Cliff McClendon, Ann McClendon, Cherie Rinehart, Nelrose Koepp, Alice Rafenson, Dian Koepp

Entries will be accepted between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 23. Judging for canning and food preservation will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 23, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Wine judging will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 7:00pm. No spectators are allowed during the judging process. The screening committee and/or the Chairperson must accept all entries and their decisions are final. All entries must be picked up on Sunday, September 27, between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. or Monday, September 28, between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.

One exhibitor’s admission pass will be given for each “quart-equivalent” entry accepted. (Example: 1 quart = 1 pass, 2 pints = 1 pass, or 4 half pints = 1 pass, etc.)

Rules:
All entries must be in a standard Ball or Kerr ½ pint, 12-ounce, 1 pint, 1½ pint, or quart canning jar, sealed and processed using the standard Ball Canning Guide’s hot water process. No paraffin seals and no other brand of canning jar (other than Ball, Kerr, or Mason) is accepted.

Go to www.freshpreserving.com for directions and guidelines.

No paraffin sealed products will be accepted for food safety reasons due to extreme heat conditions in the exhibit halls. For food safety reasons, no items will be accepted that have not been canned using the hot water sealing process as defined by Ball Canning Corporation.

All entries must be presented in 1 pint or 1 quart size canning jars to be considered for judging for tri-color and trophy prizes. Jars smaller than 1 pint may be considered as a group (4 oz or 8 oz jars will be grouped together to make 1 pint) for blue, red or white ribbons only.

Seals, rings, and jars should be clean of labels, names and other markings. NO RUSTY SEALS OR RINGS WILL BE ACCEPTED. All home canned foods must have been prepared within a one-year period prior to being judged (October 2008 – September 2009).

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE PREPARED IN THE APPROVED “BALL CANNING GUIDE” HOT WATER PROCESSING METHOD. Go to www.freshpreserving.com and www.homecanning.com for directions and guidelines.

Adult
Tri-color award winners will be awarded only for entries in Ball or Kerr pint size jars or larger with matching jars and lids/seals. Jarden Home Brands, makers of Ball and Kerr Fresh Preserving Products is proud to recognize today’s fresh preserving (canning) enthusiasts, so Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion awards will be given to those individuals judged as the best in designated recipe categories.

A panel of judges will select the two best entries submitted by an adult for Fruit, Vegetable, Picked Food, and Soft Spread categories. Entries must be preserved in Ball or Ball Collection Elite Jars sealed with Ball Lids and Bands or Ball Collection Elite Lids and Bands. In addition, soft spread entries will be limited to recipes prepared using Ball Pectin: Original, No Sugar Needed or Liquid. A proof of purchase for Ball pectin must be provided at time of entry.

1) Best Fruit (Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion)
2) Best Pickled Foods (Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion
1) Best Vegetable (Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion)
2) Best Soft Spread (Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion)

Prizes for tri-color award winners come from the Jarden Home Brands Company and, beyond submitting winners’ names, the Comal County Fair Association has no control over the delivery of awards.

Youth
We encourage entries in the Youth Canning and Food Preservation Division from participants under age 18, but still enrolled in school. To win, entries must follow the same guidelines as adult entries listed above. Tri-color awards for Grand Champion will be award to youth in the following categories:
1) Best Fruit
2) Best Pickled Foods
3) Best Vegetable
4) Best Soft Spread

Homemade Wine and Homemade Flavored Oils & Herbal Vinegars
Entries should be clean, well sealed and FREE OF ANY LABELS, NAMES, and/or MARKINGS.

Homemade Flavored Oils and Herbal Vinegars are judged on appearance, color, clarity and quality of preservation and canning technique. Products will not be unsealed. All judges’ decisions are final. One overall best homemade flavored oil or herbal vinegar will receive a tri-color ribbon.

Homemade wines will be judged on appearance, color, clarity and quality of taste. Homemade wines will be judged in categories to include:
best grape wine (Includes mustang, muscadine, purple, red, or green grapes),
best berry wine (includes blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, agarita berry, dewberry, etc.),
best fruit wine (apple, peach, apricot, fig, plum, etc.),
and/or best citrus/miscellaneous wine (lemon, grapefruit, orange, cactus pear, pear, etc.).

One overall Best Homemade wine will receive a tri-color ribbon and trophy. Judges will taste the homemade wines. Judge’s decisions are final.

Homemade Wine and Homemade Flavored Oils and Herbal Vinegar trophies are donated by Cottontail Ranch, Calvin and Ruthie Kneupper.