Canning Show 2013

     I do go on a bit about the Perth Royal Show (state fair equivalent here in Western Australia) but there is much to be said about the county fairs like the Canning Show. To be fair, I was never really big on county fairs back home. They seemed to be poor distant relations to the state fair rather than the local celebration that they actually are. My tune has changed a bit.  I still like huge playground atmosphere of the Big Show but my tolerance for crowds, noise and extraneous nonsense has lowered significantly.  A local show offers a manageable experience for those with very small children, crowd or mobility issues.
     The Canning Show, like other regional shows or county fairs, has a little bit of everything: rides for kids, buskers and entertainment, a  few animals, bakery and art competitions, cotton candy and worthless treasures to buy, hawkers selling wares and someone in a back room counting money.  Almost hiding is the hobbyist exhibition hall.  Various societies are happy to show off their lace-making, embroidery, model trains, little airplanes, taxidermy skills  and model police car collections.  They also dearly wish to boost their membership numbers from within the viewing public...if the public can make it up the hill to the hall.
     Of course my appearance at the Canning Show is, well, mostly about my canning efforts. Yes, I do go on a bit about that also.  This year, out of nine entries (including two photographic entries I was utterly mad to enter) I received two (2) First Place winners and two (2) Third Place winners in the Preservation division.

Judge didn't save much for me.

    The winners were Strawberry Jam which the judge used for a scone demo later (also known as "staff breakfast") I had just enough left in the jar to spread on one piece of toast when I got it back and  Red Cabbage ( I reworked a loser at the Royal Show into a big winner at Canning.)    Third place holders were the Apple Butter and Fig Jam.  The figs were raining from a neighbor's tree, so I caught a few and put them through their paces.  My first effort with that fruit and the PRS judges liked it also. 

    My cookie entries went nowhere. They tasted the gingerbread star but ignored the apricot  swirl and the fruited oatmeal.  Less far than those went were the brandied marmalade and OPAL-orange, pineapple, apricot and lemon marmalade.  Again, the judges at Canning didn't always agree with the PRS judges but that's OK.  I'm good with four winners.

    A big surprise for me  was when one of the executive committee (who helped empty  my strawberry Jam jar in the demo) asked if I would help teach a jam making class in January.  Gee whiz!  At first I thought, "There are MANY people who are much better than I am" and after more thought realized that my jam journey is more contemporary to the newbies who will be in the class than folks who have been around for a hundred years.  Presentation plans are forming in my head.

    As are plans for 2014's entries.  Mango jam is already first in the queue.