Smooth Win for Iowa City Cook in State Fair Fruit Butters Contest

DES MOINES, IA (08/12/2017) (readMedia)-- Rod Zeitler of Iowa City won First, Second and Third Places Overall and the Sweepstakes Award in the C&H Canned Fruit Butters competition, judged on August 9, prior to the start of the 2017 Iowa State Fair.

Terri Sinclair of Cumming earned 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.

Results below:

Apple

1) Martha Kunkle, Carlisle

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Tanya K. Hardy, Osceola

Apricot

1) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Tanya K. Hardy, Osceola

Peach

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Louise Piper, Garner

3) Cecilia Naughton, Nevada

Pear

1) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

2) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

3) Louise Piper, Garner

Plum

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

3) Tanya K. Hardy, Osceola

Rhubarb

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

3) Tanya K. Hardy, Osceola

Fruit Butters Other Than Named

1) Rod Zeitler, Iowa City

2) Terri Sinclair, Cumming

3) Tanya K. Hardy, Osceola

The Iowa State Fair Food Department is the largest of any state fair in the country. There were 177 divisions, 769 classes and over 9,856 entries at this year's Fair. Due to the large number of classes, Food Department judging begins prior to the Fair in the Elwell Family Food Center sponsored by Blue Bunny Ice Cream.

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Frequently ranked as one of the top events in the country, the Iowa State Fair is the single largest event in the state of Iowa and one of the oldest and largest agricultural and industrial expositions in the country. Annually attracting more than a million people from all over the world, the Iowa State Fair located at East 30th and East University, just 10 minutes from downtown Des Moines is Iowa's greatest celebration with a salute to the best in agriculture, industry, entertainment and achievement. "Nothing Compares" to State Fair Thrills, August 10-20, 2017. For more information, visit www.iowastatefair.org.