In conjunction with the annual “Woodstock for Chileheads”, a hot sauce contest is being added to the events planned for Open Fields. The cost is only $10 per person and that one fee allows you to enter as many sauces as you’d like (within reason, please).
Listed categories are:
– Best ‘Hot’ Sauce
– Best ‘Sweet Hot’
– Best ‘Mild’ Sauce
– Best ‘Fresh from the Field’
– Open Category (anything goes, any heat level)
– and Best Salsa
Prizes are yet to be determined but trophies will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd in each category. Judging will be done on site & winners announced that evening (September 29th).
The Best Fresh from the Field category is unique among any other hot sauce contest as these will be sauces that are made and prepared on site with chiles picked fresh from the ones available on site. You are allowed to bring your own extra ingredients (onions, garlic, etc) to the contest, but the sauce must be based on the chiles you find in the fields. Think “Iron Chef” minus the high tech kitchen and utensils and adding a rustic setting, weather, lots of fellow chileheads, and a good cause.
The contest is the brainchild of “Scotch Bonnet Steve” from the MSN Rogues group. If you plan on entering, please send him a note (sfoster4 at gmail.com) so that he can add your name to the poster. He is one of the most knowledgeable growers in the country and is taking part in some real cutting edge research involving chile peppers. The contest is no longer limited to amateur hot sauce makers! Let the games begin!
Contest entries should be mailed to Jim Campbell, 81 Martin Pl, Franklin IN 46131. The check for the entry fee needs be made out to: The Stair Climb Fund.
45 responses to “Open Fields Hot Sauce Contest: Now Open To Commercial Makers!”
Who will be Judging the big boys entry’s ??
[Comment ID #99479 Quote]
Volunteer judges made up from the attendees. Last thing I want is manufacturers judging other manufacturers 😉
The judges are life long hot sauce fanatics and *buyers* of hot sauces so this should give a pretty good indication of consumer sentiment & trends.
And after judging all those sauces we may become lifetime sufferers as well 😉
Actually that would have been “life long” sufferers.
Wanna thank Scotch Bonnet Steve for the opportunity. It’s nice to have a place to show our wares and our skills as ametuers. Looking forward to sending my stuff!
[Comment ID #99690 Quote]
I couldn’t agree more. I’m really looking forward to this!
Do we send the check with our entries??
I will be entering. Thanks to Scotch Bonnet Steve for this competition as there are not that many open to ametuer sauce makes (that I have found). Great to see the money goes to charity as well. This is a great opp for us ametuers to get our names out there. Thanks again.
[Comment ID #100217 Quote]
So are you going to enter the Wahini Woo Hoo sauce that I named for you?
Still waiting on that sample bottle by the way.
Shoot me the tracker if you have it.
“The cost is only $10 per person and that one fee allows you to enter as many sauces as you’d like (within reason, please).”
What is “reason” Jim??
🙂
[Comment ID #100229 Quote]
Hey Uncle Big… Yes I am going to enter the Wahini Woo Hoo sauce.
For reasons unknown the sample that I sent out was returned to me just marked return to sender???….So I repacked and wrapped it and it was sent out again…Hopefully it will make it this time. I was disappointed ‘cuz I wann hear what you think of it. My wife asked about the tracking number and the post office told her they do not give one for international packages…..but did say it should be there in 5-7 days…let me know when you get it please….so I know it made it this time
I’d say 5-6 is reasonable. Over 10 different sauces & I think we’re pushing the envelope a bit 😉
I may also enter my spicy bbq and hot bbq as well……
I’m entering my FKS “Fiery Hot Habanero” sauce. I have to get these old labels off the bottle first 😀
[Comment ID #102308 Quote]
Just caught it 🙂 You wouldn’t be the first to use my sauce & win an award 😉
Hey Jim, are the categories the same as listed above for the professional division?
[Comment ID #102369 Quote]
Yup- sorry. Should have made that part of the post 🙂
Count me in Jim, I’ll email you soon.
THANKS !!!
[Comment ID #102410 Quote]
Thank YOU Jack! For being a contest that started over with the Rogues, all my entries so far have been from the blog 🙂
Monty- yours arrived all in good shape today- thanks!! As there are some things that there aren’t categories for (BBQ) I’ll take them down to a hot sauce shop that I do biz with & see if they’ll pick them up.
Hi Jim,
Do I need to attend to enter my sauces? When is deadline to get sauces and money to you?
Best,
Rob
Scorpion Bay Hot Sauce
More details as people point out that I forgot to include them 🙂
**Need NOT be present to win!**
Deadline will be September 25th- that’s when I get back from the Houston Hot Sauce Festival and have to start pulling all this together 🙂
Great Thanks!
Will get my sauce and dinero together and send them out to you. Just one bottle of each?
Rob,
Scorpion Bay Hot Sauce
One bottle is fine- should be able to do the judging on that. Wanted to make this as cost efficient for folks as possible.
[Comment ID #101950 Quote]
If this is shipping from Canada to the USA, you can’t label it as a food product or the FDA will return it unless it has a FDA prior approval number….so label it as something else. This is due to Bio Terrorism laws
[Comment ID #102688 Quote]
oh great you mean I may get it back again??? Not sure what my wife labeled it as this time…I told her to mark it as a gift…..Uncle Big you a package yet?????Hopefully!!!!!
I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on doing a hot sauce sampling and information show. A few ideas about what to serve to cool down your mouth between tastings and some suggestions as to what chiles to talk about would be helpful.
[Comment ID #104079 Quote]
Cream cheese is always a popular one. An ice cream stand works also, but make sure you get a cut of the action 😉
[Comment ID #102688 Quote]
If this is advice to Uncle Big shipping to the states, I don’t recommend lying on the shipping documents, if they trace it back to him, the border would be immediately closed to him and his co-packer and he’d be out of US business so fast it would make his head swim… Also, the fine, at a minimum, should they decide to apply it is no less than $150,000.
NEVER lie to the FDA… ever.
Just sayin.
[Comment ID #112246 Quote]
Hey Tina,
Thanks for the concern. The scenario was reversed, a new sauce maker shipping samples to me for my opinion.
Nothing to worry about, I always dot my I’s and cross my T’s when it comes to international shipping. You have to.
You can lie to your parents and you can even lie to your wife, they will be forgiving in the end, but as you said, NEVER LIE TO THE FDA. They don’t forgive nor do they ever forget.
No worries, it’s all good.
Every Saturady we stage various food tastings for the public. Hot Sause Saturday was popular, but we found it diffiult to provide individuals with an easy ways to taste. Amounts vary and the cracker or chip needs to be plain, the vanilla ice cream between bites works but is messy to maintian during the show tasting of 6 flavours, for 30-40 people. Anyone have good ideas or standards for hot sause tastings?
[Comment ID #112266 Quote]
Is this Steven from the Instant Caterer?
Steve was the Merchant that supplied the sauces for the tasting, but otherwise wasn’t very forthcoming. The Kitchen staff did the show with a power-point which included this site info. I work for the Market Tenants’ Assocaition.
I have to wonder… Did the Peppermaster sauces happen to end up in this little show?
T
There we go gang, last day for arrival and the contest to begin!! Bringing the sweet hot sauce and the super fantastic hot BBQ sauce. Good luck to all!
Well, the contest is over. Not sure when the list of winners will be published. I was there and heard the results, but my rememory isn’t all that good.
I applaud the judges for taking a chance of being food poisoned by the amateur entries. 3 of my processed entries were tested USDA standards approved and my “Fresh From the Fields” entry was hopefully safe as was kept on ice and was low pH.
I so wanted to enter one of my fermented mash concoctions, but even though I know in my heart as safe (I think safer) than approved fermenting methods I didn’t. So far I have dehydrated all my ferments for powder to share with fellow pod-heads. Thought abt entering the powders, but not sure if would be acceptable in any category.
Looking forward to next year!
Since this is a charity event I think each entry should have a $10 fee. And to protect the judges I think exact methods of making the sauce should be provided. (not the commercial entries) I brought my pH meter and buffer solutions just in case was pressed into being a judge and also if decided to open my still working hot pepper/cantaloupe ferment that am going to open today.
Looking forward to next year! Thanks much to JimC!!!!!
Hot regards.
jt (Love2Troll)
[Comment ID #112289 Quote]
I was wondering the same thing since our products have a very unique shape, and I didn’t see them in any of the photos. Did ours get misplaced Jim?
Those pics don’t encompass all of the entries. It was amazing how many in total there were, for a first time contest that is. Poor Jeff was in over his head at check in!
[Comment ID #113048 Quote]
None ever arrived ma’am! If you sent some, neither they nor the donation got here.
[Comment ID #113050 Quote]
He’s only human! 🙂
At the opening day, we only had about 20 RSVP’s and the hour before the turn in, it *exploded*! We had over 100 entries and raised over $1,400 for Step Up from the contest. A huge **THANK YOU** to Scotch Bonnet Steve for the idea and an equally big one to Jeff S, his brother Rob and the judges (including Nick!) for the yeoman work done on the contest.
Come on now. How was the tasting done? What happens in between the tastes? How were the tastings reviewed, what was the format?
[Comment ID #113053 Quote] How about the Zane & Zack’s we handed off at ZestFest? If It got misplaced it isn’t the end of the world, and we are glad to make the donation. I tried to pay you $10 for each entry. Someone else had suggested that in an earlier comment, I think it is a great idea. Good luck on your stair climb. YOU ARE THE MAN!!!
It was there. I delivered it. It was shipped home with the stuff from our 2 booths.
[Comment ID #113075 Quote]
Hmmm… I never saw it. I also didn’t see it on the entry table.
What can you say except- sorry 🙁 First year contest, bound to have been a few bugs… and bees!
[Comment ID #113104 Quote]That’s okay, you are a busy man. Good luck with the stair climb, stay hydrated. Do you have any Television media coverage for the event?
They were on the table by the road Saturday night, open. I would assume they were judged.