Judging Apple Pies at the Litchfield Fair

Ted and Muriel Smith have overseen the Litchfield Fair Apple Pie Contest for the last time and they will be missed! Although Ted says they will still be involved somewhat with the fair, it will be on a much smaller scale. I can honestly say, they are a true pleasure to work with every year and I want to thank them, personally and, on behalf of our whole crew, for inviting us year after year.

That said,  there's nothing  harder than deciding  which is the best when there is so much goodness in each of the  pies.  There are three passes for the three judges (Mac  Dickson,  my wife Marie Anne and  me).  The first pass is judging how they look....are they visually pleasing.  Next,  it's the (my favorite) taste test....the  crust and filling are done separately.  Finally,  we look at the recipe  (which has to be included) and judge it on how  clear it  is and how  easy  it explains the pie making process.   At the end,  winners are chosen and checks and ribbons  are awarded.  Best of all,  the judges  get  to choose one of the  "losing" pies to take home.  The only ones off limits are the top 3, which get to be displayed in the exhibition hall.  Below are winners receiving their ribbons....which kept sticking to the apple pie filling on my fingers (don't ask).

The Apple Pie Contest at the fair has been a tradition for years which Ted brought over from the Windsor Fair, where he once judged the competition.  He told me of one year at Windsor when there were more than fifty pies to judge.  He said he was never so tired of tasting apple pies at the end of that contest!  I say, BRING IT!! :-)

Ted and Muriel....you are loved and we are blessed for knowing you.  Thank you for all you do to promote agriculture in the Great State Of Maine!