CULINARY ARTS DIVISION

Exhibitor Tips

Classes

Registration

Culinary Arts Exhibitor Tips:

  • Previous day’s baking desired.
  • Exhibitors to cover baking with clear plastic bag, no plastic wrap please, except on cakes.
  • Muffins, cookies, and small cakes are exhibited on small disposable plates provided by the exhibitor.
  • Exhibitors of pies and cakes may leave one portion on display and take the remainder home Thursday 7 – 9 p.m. or Friday 9 -11 a.m. Please bring your own knife and a plate on which to leave the one portion.
  • Exhibits must be removed between 3:30 and 4:30 on Sunday.

Yeast Bread: 

  • Loaf: Size and shape: well proportioned; even golden top and bottom; crust – no cracks, do not pick with fork; light for size, no internal holes.
  • Rolls: Single items
  • Buns: Attached

Quick Breads:

  • Loaves: cracks on loaves are acceptable
  • Coffee cakes: loaf cakes, even colour, tender crust, no moisture on top. Top cracks accepted.

Muffins:

  • Do not overmix muffins. Do not show muffins in paper cups.

Pies & Tarts: 

  • Score: 20 General Appearance, 50 Crust, 30 Filling
  • Crust: medium thickness, tender, flaky; Filling: thick enough to hold shape, medium depth.
  • Tip: Temper foil plates 10 minutes @ 400F before using.
  • To PIE EXHIBITORS: Exhibitors must enter a whole pie.

Cakes: 

  • Uniform thickness of layers; Slightly rounded on top; Cardboard bases must be covered with foil.
  • Frostings are boiled or cooked; icings should not be cooked and should have butter or shortening base should touch plate.
  • White cake – has only egg whites

Decorated Cakes:

  • Score: 50% General Appearance, 50% Workmanship

Cookies:

  • Uniform size – even colour; Rolled cookies – crisp, yet tender; Drop – soft – slightly moist.

Squares And Bars:

  • Bars should be approximately 1.5” x 2”.
  • Squares should be approximately 2”x2”.

Class: Baking

Prizes in Gift Certificates: $10 for each 1st and 2nd in baking sections 97 to 115 generously donated by Asselin’s Your Independent Grocers (Hawkesbury).

Third prize: $5.00 each from Vankleek Hill Agricultural Society.

Score for baked goods: 30 General Appearance, 30 Internal Appearance, 40 Flavour & Aroma

  1. Loaf, white bread, no glaze
  2. Loaf, 60% whole wheat bread
  3. Dinner rolls, white, 3
  4. Gluten free muffins, your choice, 3
  5. Fruit Muffins, your choice, 3
  6. Lemon Loaf, half loaf shown
  7. Banana Loaf, half loaf shown
  8. Chocolate Brownies, 3, approx. 2″ square, with nuts, no icing
  9. Date Squares, 3 pieces, approx. 2” square
  10. Butter Tarts, 5, winner qualifies for District Competition
  11. Hermit cookies, 3
  12. Chocolate chip cookies, 3
  13. Oatmeal cookies, 3
  14. No-bake Cookies, 3
  15. Pumpkin pie, decorated with pastry cutouts
  16. Apple Pie, double crust
  17. Family favourite squares, 3 portions, please attach recipe
  18. Upside down cake of your choice, maximum 10” square or round
  19. Maple fudge, no nuts, 4 pieces, approx. 1″ squares

Class: Bottled Goods

Prizes in Gift Certificates: $10 for each 1st and 2nd in baking sections 116 to 133 generously donated by Asselin’s Your Independent Grocers (Hawkesbury). 

Third prize: $5.00 each from Vankleek Hill Agricultural Society.

Exhibitor Tips:  

  • All jars – 250ml or 500ml (1/2 pint or pint)
  • Disqualified if not sealed ** new lids only**
  • Score for jams, conserves, and marmalades: 30 General Appearance, 30 Texture, 40 Flavor.
  • Score for pickles and relishes:  30 General Appearance, 30 Texture, 40 Flavor and Arom
  • Pickle is a piece of vegetable or fruit that has been preserved with a salt and/or vinegar mixture. Pickles may be either sweet or sour and may use herbs or spices to provide extra heat or flavours. Judged on natural colour, not cloudy, uniformity; 9-day pickles are sliced crosswise (may use food colouring); Icicle pickles are sliced lengthwise (may use food colouring).
  • Relish is a pickle that has been chopped rather than left whole. Relishes can be sweet or sour, mild, or hot. Relishes have uniform pieces.
  • Salsa is a Mexican word for “sauce” and can be either cooked or fresh. It has come to refer to a blend of vegetables and/or fruits with spices and herbs.
  • Chutney is a spicy condiment made from fruit, vinegar, sugar, and spices. Chutneys can be smooth or chunky and range in spiciness from mild to very hot.
  • Mustard is a sauce made from seeds of the mustard plant. Its spiciness ranges from mild to hot depending on the method of preparation and variety of mustard seeds. “Prepared” mustards are mustards mixed with other ingredients.
  • Ketchup is a spicy mixture made from the juice of cooked vegetables and fruits, typically made from tomatoes.
  • Jam-is soft, spreadable, no separation of fruit & juice. 
  • Jelly is clear. 
  • Marmalade – must have at least one citrus fruit or juice.
  1. Applesauce
  2. Jelly, your choice, labelled
  3. Apple Jelly
  4. Corn relish
  5. Any other type of relish- not listed
  6. Strawberry Jam, cooked
  7. Raspberry Jam, cooked
  8. Reduced sugar jam, named
  9. Any other jam not listed, named
  10. Dill Pickles
  11. Bread & Butter Pickles
  12. Pickled Beets
  13. Pickled carrots 
  14. Pickled Beans
  15. Salsa
  16. Fruit salsa
  17. Any condiment not listed
  18. Any Pickled Vegetable not listed, provide name

Class: Maple Syrup, Honey & Eggs

Prize Money:  $8, $6, $4, 

  1. Maple Syrup, Light, 1 Litre container
  2. Maple Syrup, Amber, 1 Litre container
  3. Product made with Maple Syrup – to be tasted.
  4. White Eggs – 1 dozen in a container
  5. Brown Eggs – 1 dozen in a container
  6. Liquid Honey – exhibits must consist of two clear containers, each having a capacity of 500 grams (375 ml).

Class: Culinary Specials

Prize Money: $7, $5, $3 

Special Prize: $25 Gift Certificate donated by Hillcrest Funeral Home, in memory of Walter and Davidson, awarded to the exhibitor with the highest points in Sections 140 to 143.

  1. “A Real Treat” – a collection of 3 party favour bags from the Vankleek Hill Fair 180th birthday party. Must include at least one homemade food item, displayed in a tray.
  2. “Happy 180th” – cake decorated for the Vankleek Hill Fair. Forms allowed.
  3. “Country Creations” – 3 cupcakes decorated on a country theme, displayed on a plate.
  4. On a bandana covered plate, 3 country-themed food items.

Online Registration

Follow this link assistexpo.ca/vkhfair to register for an Assist Expo account to register your entries online!