Joomla Login LightBox powered by WowJoomla.com

State fair pie contest deadline Aug. 2

Peaches, blackberries, apples, blueberry, strawberry and rhubarb, oh my! There’s never a bad time to bake a pie. And if you need an extra incentive, Missouri First Lady Georganne Nixon’s pie contest is just around the corner. The deadline to enter is Monday, Aug. 2.

The competition will be judged at the Missouri State Fair on Thursday, Aug. 19, the day of the Governor’s Ham Breakfast. There are categories for fruit pies, as well as soft pies with custard or cream filling. A Best of Show award also will be presented.

The competition is sponsored by AgriMissouri, a marketing program of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, and Starline Brass, a Sedalia-based manufacturer. Cash prizes in the First Lady’s Pie Contest total $750, with the top winners each taking home $150.

The First Lady’s Pie Contest rules specify homemade crusts and fillings.

For most bakers just starting out or entering their first contest, Jan Wooten, proprietor of Sunshine Valley Farm, Market and Café near Rogersville, suggests sticking with fruit pies. If you do decide to make a cream pie for the state fair contest, remember, you must transport the pie on ice in a cooler. The pie will be kept cold until the judging starts.

Soft pies are especially difficult in the summer, when the heat makes getting a good meringue topping a challenge.

Wooten said she believes that in-season fruit — and lots of it — makes the best pie.

For the State Fair contest in August, she said peaches should be in their prime, and early apples will be coming on as well. Fruit doesn’t have to be picked fresh to make good pies, though. Stored fruit works fine, Wooten said, as long as it’s well cared for.

Some fruit is easier to work with than others.

“Blueberries are easy,” Wooten said. “Apples are easy as long as you have a peeler. Peaches are harder because they’re more difficult to peel and pit. They take more labor. Gooseberries are the hardest because it’s hard to get all the stems off.”

The First Lady’s Pie Contest encourages Missouri amateur bakers to prepare their favorite family recipes. It is not open to professional bakers.

For more information about the First Lady’s Pie Contest, including rules, entry blank and recipe form, log on to Mo.gov or MoStateFair.com.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed