Show off!

Well the 98th Annual Adelong Show has concluded for the year. The Yanco Agricultural High School Equestrian Float and their highly groomed ponies have headed back up the Sturt, the pampered breed sheep and cattle can now rest in their stalls without having their wool separated and their confirmation critiqued and all can contemplate the competition and the judging, and, if they took out a prize, can stroke their felted ribbons and admire their prize winning cards.

As you will know from a previous post, I decided to try my hand and submit some entries in Section J - Jams, Jellies and  Preserves. Here is the display for Section J.

I entered 3 classes:

• Class 9 - Tomato Jam, any added flavouring with my Tomato Chilli Jam, and, drum roll please.... I took out Second Prize!

The winner of the class was  Ms Dianne Newland. It appears that there were only two entries in that class but I am consoled by two facts, 1. that the Rules and Regulations of the Pavillion  clearly state that "The Judge will not award prizes to exhibits which are not considered to possess sufficient merit" and,  2. that Ms Dianne Newland won just about every other class of Section J AND consequently  took out Most Successful Exhibitor  in the Section and was awarded a wonderful blue felt ribbon. I feel honoured to come second to such an awarded competitor and prolific jam maker.

• Class 22 - Plum Sauce. Well the class had more entries that Class 9.  There were 4 entries and I did not take out a prize. Instead the winner was Ms Joanne Crowe and in second place was Ms Leone Mears.

Congratulations Ladies!  Reflecting on my own performance and the look of the winning exhibits, I suspect I should have put my sauce through the blender, cooked my sauce on a bit to get a darker colour and popped it in a bottle with greater pouring ability. My sauce was a chunky one and I think the Stewards were looking for smooth and perhaps dark? Mine is the tall bottle with the yellow lid - pale but interesting as my mother used to say of me.

• Class 27 - Chutney AOV ( that's chutney Any Other Variety other than tomato, tomato chutney being Class 26). 

There were only three entries but I am glad to say that I took out second prize.  This time the winner was Ms Marlene Pearce. Well done Marlene!

My entry was a Peach Chutney made from my farm-grown  peaches, the very peaches I was in competition with the Wallaby for. The recipe was entirely made up from me head and adjusted for my palate. I am pretty chuffed at this one being such an improvised recipe.

In total I won $2.00, $1.00 each for each second place.  It cost me $1.50 to enter three exhibits. I donated the winnings to the Adelong Pastoral and Agricultural Show.

I was pretty pleased and excited at just taking part. I met lots of lovely ladies and saw lots of beautiful produce all of which I am sure tasted much better than anything in the shops and that very often I bet was made from home-grown produce. It feels great to have such simple home-made things valued at shows like these dotted all over the country-side. Well done everyone for making the world a more home-grown and home-made place.

That I took out two seconds makes me feel pretty happy, a small but warm achievement and a mark of being part of the community. 

On collecting my jars, one of the Stewards remembered me and my produce and commented that I had done very well and that I must enter again next year. I will, I promise.

On the journey home my prize-winning cards sat on my knee. Now at home, here they are along with their produce. 

On hearing that I had submitted entries, my mum joked with me that I will have to start a trophy wall, I guess I will have to find some way to show my cards... but perhaps not a wall. 

And The Lad said before the Show that if I won he'd carry my on his shoulders through Adelong. It's just as well I came second! Just as well as the main street of the town is so short.

Should anyone want to make my award-winning items, the recipes can be found here, I am happy to share:

• Tomato Chilli Jam
• Peach Chutney