Food - Fleet Farm Canned Fruit Butters

Iowa City Cook Wins State Fair Fruit Butters Title

Rod Zeitler of Iowa City won First and Third Places Overall, the Sweepstakes Award and a total of $200 in gift cards in the Fleet Farm Canned Fruit Butters competition judged Wednesday, August 9, at the 2023 Iowa State Fair.

Dennis Toby Williams of Colfax claimed Second Place Overall and a $100 gift card.

Susan Schultz of Haverhill claimed the Reserve Sweepstakes Award.

Fruit butters are made of fruit pulp and sugar cooked together to a thick consistency, but not to a jellied state. Fruit Butters often contain spices.

Entries were judges on flavor, consistency, appearance and food safety.

Additional results follow:

Apple

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Jacqueline Riekena, West Des Moines

3) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

Apricot

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Susan Schultz, Haverhill

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Peach

1) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

2) David Wambold, Bouton

Pear

1) Susan Schultz, Haverhill

2) Amy Vaughn, Ankeny

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Plum

1) Jacqueline Riekena, West Des Moines

2) Susan Schultz, Haverhill

3) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Rhubarb

1) Dennis Toby Williams, Colfax

2) Susan Schultz, Haverhill

3) Jacqueline Riekena, West Des Moines

Fruit Butters Other Than Named

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

The Iowa State Fair Food Department is the largest of any state fair in the country. There are 138 divisions, 695 classes and over 6,800 entries at this year’s Fair. Food Department judging is held in the Elwell Family Food Center.