Food - Fleet Farm Classic Iowa Canned Jellies

Garner Cook Wins State Fair Jellies Title

Louise Piper of Garner won First Place Overall and a $150 gift card in the Fleet Farm Classic Iowa Canned Jellies competition judged Wednesday, August 9, at the 2023 Iowa State Fair.

Rod Zeitler of Iowa City claimed both Second and Third Places Overall, the Sweepstakes title and a total of $150 in gift cards.

Michelle Westphal of Waterloo earned the Reserve Sweepstakes award.

Jellies are a semi-solid mixture generally made with fruit juice and sugar. Flavored liquids other than fruit juice may be use. Jelly is a translucent and tender enough to cut easily with a spoon, yet frim enough to hold its shape with turned from a jar.

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

Complete results follow:

Apple

1) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Louise Piper, Garner

Bell Pepper

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) None awarded

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Black Raspberry

1) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Marty Ryan, Des Moines

Blackberry

1) Shelly Schmit, Mason City

2) Louise Piper, Garner

3) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Cherry

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Mary Ross, Pella

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Combination of Three or More Fruits

1) Louise Piper, Garner

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Lashelle Woods, Newton

Combination of Two Fruits

1) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

2) Louise Piper, Garner

3) Nancy Johnson, Story City

Concord Grape

1) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Crab Apple

1) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Dandelion

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Ileen M. Wallace, Council Bluffs

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Elderberry

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

3) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

Gooseberry

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Dennis Toby Williams, Colfax

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Grape Other Than Concord

1) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

Grape-Plum

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

3) None

Grapefruit

1) Louise Piper, Garner

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Herb Jelly (food coloring optional)

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Mulberry

1) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Peach

1) Louise Piper, Garner

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

Hon Mention – Andrew Schmitz, Waukee

Pepper (food coloring optional)

1) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Deb Davis, Ankeny

Plum

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

3) Erik Francois, Des Moines

Red Currant

1) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

Red Raspberry

1) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

2) Jean Jennings, Prairie City

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Rhubarb

1) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

Sour Cherry

1) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

2) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

3) Louise Piper, Garner

Strawberry

1) Lindsey Pepper, Boone

2) Louise Piper, Garner

3) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

Strawberry-Rhubarb

1) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

2) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

3) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Triple Cherry

1) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Vegetable

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Violet

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Watermelon

1) Jacqueline Riekena, West Des Moines

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

Wild Berries of Iowa

1) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Louise Piper, Garner

Hon Mention – George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Wild Black Raspberry

1) Louise Piper, Garner

2) Lashelle Woods, Newton

3) Michelle Westphal, Waterloo

Wine

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Ileen M. Wallace, Council Bluffs

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Jellies Other Than Named (except freezer jellies)

1) Frank Rankin, Ankeny

2) Andrew Schmitz, Waukee

3) Joy Russell, Waukee

Hon Mention – Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

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