Food: Fleet Farm Classic Iowa Canned Jams

Top Jams Earn State Fair Awards

Martha Kunkle of Carlisle won First and Second Places Overall and the Reserve Sweepstakes Award in the Fleet Farm Classic Iowa Canned Jams competition judged Wednesday, August 7, at the 2024 Iowa State Fair.

Terri Sinclair of Cumming claimed Third Place Overall and Rod Zeitler of Iowa City earned the Reserve Sweepstakes award.

Jams are a thick spread made with crushed or chopped fruit cooked with sugar. Jam has the same brilliance and color as jelly, but is softer in texture.

Entries were judged on flavor, consistency, appearance and adherence to food safety rules.

Complete results follow:

Apple

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Apricot

1) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

2) Dennis Toby Williams, Colfax

3) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Black Raspberry

1) Joy Russell, Des Moines

2) Karen Heege, Des Moines

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Blackberry

1) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

Blueberry

1) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

2) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

3) Louise Piper, Garner

Cherry

1) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

2) Jen Rouse, Coralville

3) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Gooseberry

1) Louise Piper, Garner

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Grape

1) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Hot Pepper with Fruit

1) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

2) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

3) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Kiwi

1) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Melissa Toney, Lamoni

Mt. Ranier Cherry

1) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Jen Rouse, Coralville

Mulberry

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Peach

1) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

2) Nancy Johnson, Story City

3) Kim Peterson, Granger

Pear

1) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Pear-Apple

1) Ileen M. Wallace, Council Bluffs

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Pineapple

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Plum (other than wild plum or red plum)

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Red Plum

1) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Louise Piper, Garner

Red Raspberry

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Nancy Johnson, Story City

3) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

Rhubarb

1) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Louise Piper, Garner

Rhubarb-Raspberry

1) Karen Heege, Des Moines

2) Louise Piper, Garner

3) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Rhubarb-Strawberry

1) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

2) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

3) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Sour Cherry

1) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

2) Louise Piper, Garner

3) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

Spiced Blueberry

1) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

Spiced Tomato

1) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

Strawberry

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

3) Kim Peterson, Granger

Strawberry-Kiwi

1) Louise Piper, Garner

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Sugar Free

1) None awarded

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Sweet Sauces/Topping (for ice cream and other desserts), half-pint jar

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

3) Trisha Macdonald, Story City

Three or More Fruits

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

3) Dennis Toby Williams, Colfax

Triple Cherry

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Two Fruits Other Than Named Combinations

1) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

Vegetable

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

3) Jen Rouse, Coralville

Wild Blackberry

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Wild Plum

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

3) Paula Altmaier, Riverside

Jams Other Than Named (except freezer jams)

1) Peg Johnston, Norwalk

2) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

3) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

The Iowa State Fair Food Department is the largest of any state fair in the country. There were 140 divisions, 726 classes and over 6,400 entries at this year’s Fair. Food Department judging is held in the Elwell Family Food Center.