I've been stockpiling all of my best canned goods for a year in preparation for the MN State Fair. For the past two years I've not been able to enter anything because of being out of town during the required delivery dates or accidentally breaking the competition rules. [What? No quilted jelly jars? And who cans salsa in half pint jars? I could eat that on 3 chips!]
This year was going to be my year. I registered online with my Thai-inspired pickled beans (with lemongrass, ginger, mint and Thai chiles), Thai-inspired pickles (eligible for Gedney's special Asian pickle category!), roasted pepper salsa, Indian-inspired pickled cauliflower (with coriander and cumin) and the most beautiful golden-colored vanilla apricot butter. I checked my registration about 3 times out of paranoia before the due date. I marked my calendar with the deadlines and scheduled in my drop off times. I felt really prepared. I even reminded others to get their registrations in on time.
BUT...I might have saved my registration, but I didn't hit the final checkbox acknowledging that I had read the rules (probably about six times) and submitting my saved entries. They have no record of me registering and can't bend the rules to let me in, even if I sniffle and cry on the phone and beg in emails.
I'm seriously bummed. I'm kicking myself for not making sure I got the confirmation email. The only silver lining to this cloud is that now I get to eat these jars I've been saving- the best and most beautiful of my efforts this year.
So this will be another year of scoping out the competition at the fair and preparing for next year. Now is the time to start canning for next year's fair. I'm on it. Look out next year, grandmas.
2 comments:
Oh Liz! What a bummer. Maybe if both of us cry and sniffle on the phone, they would let you in???? :(
I'm salivating after your potential entry descriptions. I can't wait until you blow them out of the water next year.
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