I received an email back from the State Fair peeps:
As the University of Tennessee Extension Family and Consumer
Sciences agent in Davidson County, I have been asked to address your concerns
about the standards for judging jelly. Since I did not judge jelly at this
year’s Tennessee State Fair, I cannot give specific reasons as to why your jar
was not opened. There could be a number of reasons for this happening.
As recommended by the National Center for Home Preservation,
judging of home canned goods begins with visual assessment.
· Is the product in a
standard canning jar?
· Is the jar sealed?
· Is the approved
processing method listed on the jar’s label?
· Is the lid (ring and
flat) clean and free of rust? Judges will remove the ring to check for
cleanliness and to see if there is the proper amount of headspace in the jar
and that no paraffin has been used.
· Is the jelly clear, free
from sediment, cloudiness, pulp or crystals?
· Is the jelly a natural
color (natural color of the dominant fruit)?
·
Is the
consistency of the jelly correct? The consistency of jelly can be judged
without removing it from the jar. Turn the jar on its side and give it a single
sharp shake. Then rotate the jar slowly at an angle or on its side. The jelly
should pull away from the jar cleanly, without breaking and without leaving a
residue on the jar.
It is my thinking that the judges eliminated your jelly on one or
more of the above criteria.
Both the National Center for Home Preservation and the Ball Fresh
Preserving Award guidelines, recommend that judges refrain from tasting home
preserved food in the judging process. This recommendation is made for the
safety of the judges.
The judges who judged the jelly division this year have over 20
years’ of experience in judging at the Tennessee State Fair.
I encourage you to continue participating in the canning
competition at the fair.
Naturally, I had to get the last word:
Jane,
I appreciate you taking the time to answer. It’s
interesting and helpful to know the criteria used. My concern was
that this was the first year I received an entry back, unopened; as it is the
standard, it’s the first year that I’ve experienced it being
followed. I wouldn’t have thought much of it, but first the
volunteer pointed it out as unusual and then another competitor agreed with me
that hers are always opened as well.
As long as the standard is being applied consistently, I have no
problem with method the judges use. I don’t call into question their
experience, but wanted to make sure I understood the process.
I can appreciate that safety is a factor in not sampling the
canned goods, but from an outsider’s perspective, it is now clear to me that
you are judging adherence to the practice rather than the end result of product
– as I take a lot of care with both. Again, provided that the methods
used are consistent, it’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. Knowing
this, I’ll definitely be curious to see what happens next year.
Thanks again for your time.
Comments