To my complete surprise, and total delight, I apparently rate quite well! I entered three things, and I won a third place and two firsts! You could have proverbially knocked me over with a proverbial feather.
I won third place in the category of Plum Jam for my Santa Rosa plum jam that I make from the plums I steal from the vacant property next door. I'm not all that fond of this jam - I think it's the wrong kind of plum - but Daniel and a former co-worker like it well enough.
I won a first in the category of Any Other Conserve for my Apricot-Orange Conserve, which I make from the abundance of fruit our apricot tree seems determined to deliver no matter what. I happen to like this one a lot, and I was very pleased that the judges apparently liked it too. The only downside is that the Australian Quarantine Service won't let me bring jars of it home for you all to taste. I do have the recipe, though, so let me know if you're interested. I think it helps that our tree produces small but intensely flavourful fruit.
One of our friends, Mark, is a particular fan of the apricot and I've been keeping him supplied for free for the past few years. I may need to charge him from now on!
I also won a first in the category of Any Other Preserve for my Blueberry Preserve. This was a total fluke. It was the day before entries were due, and I had some blueberries on hand because they were so cheap and they were local ($2 per pound, if I remember right), so I thought I might give a recipe I'd found a try. And then I thought, "What the hell, I'll take this one down as well." Good thing I did! It's actually a little sweet for me, but I think it would be yummy on fresh scones with lashings of butter.
I'm most proud of the fact that all three are pectin-free. It seemed to me that I ought to be able to make jams and such without paying for commercial pectin. I've used it in the past, but I think it interferes with the taste. The slow cooking down of the fruit and sugar really intensifies the flavours and makes the end result worth eating.
Here's me just after I got home today from picking up the leftovers and claiming my prizes. Daniel, all around cool dude that he is, was waiting with camera in hand.
I received the ribbons for my efforts, and a grand total of eight dollars in prize money, which is almost enough to buy another box of jam jars.... Don't worry, I'll spend it wisely.
It was a lot of fun, and it really wouldn't have mattered if I placed or not, but it's nice to know that this is a skill I have that people beyond my Idaho friends think is worth working on.
Yours Truly,
The Jam Queen
