Food: Fleet Farm Canned Fruit Butters

Granger Cook Wins State Fair Fruit Butters Title

Kim Peterson of Granger won First Place overall and a $150 gift card in the Fleet Farm Canned Fruit Butters competition judged Wednesday, August 7, prior to the start of the 2024 Iowa State Fair.

Martha Kunkle of Carlisle claimed Second Place overall and a $100 gift card.

Jacqueline Riekena of West Des Moines earned Third Place Overall and a $50 gift card.

Susan Schultz of Haverhill won the Sweepstakes Award. Martha Kunkle of Carlisle and Jacqueline Riekena of West Des Moines tied for Reserve Sweepstakes honors.

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 judged on flavor, consistency, appearance and food safety.

Additional results follow:

Apple

1) Kim Peterson, Granger

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

Apricot

1) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

2) Susan Schultz, Haverhill

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Peach

1) Susan Schultz, Haverhill

2) Sydney Singh, Des Moines

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Pear

1) Susan Schultz, Haverhill

2) Randy Campbell, Pleasant Hill

3) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Plum

1) Dennis Toby Williams, Colfax

2) Susan Schultz, Haverhill

3) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

Rhubarb

1) Jacqueline Riekena, West Des Moines

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) George Ellerbach, Iowa City

Fruit Butters Other than Named

1) None awarded

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

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.