Visitors may watch the judging of the foods, so we found our seats in time for the jam and jelly judging.
Dan won first prize for his pineapple jam his first year, 1984. His recipe was also published in the Iowa State Fair cookbook that year. His other ribbons were for watermelon jelly and spelling bee participant. (There were 51 kids ages 9-12. By the time he missed the word “libel,” there were five kids left.) Dan was 9 that summer.
The next year, his apple jelly won the blue ribbon, pineapple jam placed third, and pineapple jelly earned “near winner.” He also placed 6th in the spelling bee, out of 61 kids who entered.
In 1986, he was the Iowa State Fair Spelling Champion for his age division, which started with 26 kids and went 24 rounds. His prize was $25 plus a three-volume dictionary, which we toted around the rest of the day. His win was reported in The Des Moines Register the next day.
We bought a commemorative brick to remember his win. It’s on the north side of the Administration Office at the fairgrounds, below the entrance steps. Long after Dan left home, whenever we’d split up at the fair to see different things, we’d choose a time to meet again at “Dan’s brick.”
Dan soon spent his State Fair time at an arcade tent instead of kid things he’d enjoyed when he was younger.
Here’s Dan’s blue ribbon recipe from Iowa State Fair Award Winning Recipes, 1984. (It’s even good served with ham.)
I tried the Holiday Fruit Drops recipe from the cookbook. It was a favorite of Dan’s Grandma Doris, and one of the cookies we served after Dan’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor in 1991.