Have been talking to our county extension agent often during this canning season and at her urging entered 7 canned foods in our county fair. To my complete amazement, we ended up with 6 ribbons!

Our dried mushrooms, dried celery, stew meat, and zucchini all won blue ribbons. The vinegared red onions took a second place - judges thought the lovely pink color was due to food coloring (which is not allowed). But it was the way the red onions cooked down and I'll note that next year. And sweet pickle relish took a third place ribbon.

Have never before entered anything in any fair. But this was FUN! If you are canning, give it a shot yourselves.

-- Carol Mora (carollm@rockbridge.net), July 26, 2001

Answers

Wow...thats wonderful! I am looking forward to learning to can this year, my sister in law is going to teach me. I cant wait to see the pretty jars lined up in the pantry. Congrats on the ribbons! Carrie in Wis

-- Carrie (Carriemom23@hotmail.com), July 26, 2001.

Congradulations Carol! How neat to have won ribbons at the fair. I've never entered anything, but thought it would be fun. Entering canned goods in the fair always reminded me of that pickle episode on Andy Griffith! What a hoot.

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), July 26, 2001.

Congratulations Carol. You did great. I'm thinking about entering a few items in our local fair this year. I hope I do half as well as you did.

-- Murray in ME (lkdmfarm@megalink.net), July 26, 2001.

Carol, Congratulations on your blue ribbons. I'm home now and looked up that recipe for the pickled onions in the Ball book. I've got lots of red ones and a gallon of white wine vinegar, so I think I'll give it a try. Re you last posting on the pickled red cabbage; the reason I left the sugar out of some was that exactly the same thing happened with me. There was not enough liquid, and when I added more I forgot the sugar. They ought to revise the recipe. By the way, only about a quarter of my tomato plants were defoiliated by what turned out to be blister beetles. I think they'll be okay, though. This afternoon, I start making tomato sauce.

-- Katherine (KyKatherine@Yahoo.com), July 27, 2001.

Congratulations Carol. How exciting that was to win six ribbons out of seven entries. Sounds like you are doing something right! I have thought of entering something in our local fair but it always comes up on me before I realize it and I miss the entry. Since the fair is at the end of August sounds like now is the time for me to get some info and try entering. Thanks for the reminder!

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), July 27, 2001.