Applefest draws large crowd to Tigerton

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but the bountiful selection of apple pies did just the opposite as volunteers kept busy slicing and serving a selection of pies throughout the afternoon of Sept. 28 at the Taste of Tigerton’s annual Applefest.

A steady stream of customers mingled at the crafters’ tables, and those operating the food and drink stand were hopping. But the real action was inside the American Legion building where six judges tasted and tested more than a dozen pies.

Two categories — traditional apple pies and variations — were split among the judges who scored the pies based on appearance, crust/texture, aroma/smell, filling and flavor.

“It was really hard to judge,” Shirley Pockat said. “So many of them were excellent.”

Jake Joslin volunteered to be a judge after some coercing from his family.

“The pies were all very good,” he said. “It was a good consistency. Really just judged the pies based on the texture of it, what it felt like in your mouth and the flavor of it as well.”

Pockat became involved through Cindy Mueller, coordinator of the apple pie contest.

“I’ve never done this before,” Pockat said. “I don’t make pies personally unless I absolutely have to, but I like to eat them.”

Apple is not the favorite flavor of pie for either Pockat or Joslin. She prefers lemon; he prefers banana cream.

“I’m not a big apple person, but I’m glad I got to judge apple,” Joslin said. “It kind of gives you a different outlook on it. If I tasted something like if there was a banana cream in the variations, I feel that would just automatically be my go-to no matter what. I think the apple pie judging is easier, because you can pick better flavors out of it versus the variants.”

Pockat also said she was glad to be chosen to judge the apple pies, because she might be biased if she tasted a lemon pie in the variant category.

Winners in the traditional category were Sharon Piastowski, first place; Sue Kudronowicz, second; and Devon and Delores Schoening, third.

In the variations category, an apple blueberry made by Claire Dobberstein and her 4-year-old son Clarence won first place. Second place was won by Joyce Wudstrack, who also made an apple blueberry. Third place, an apple cherry pie, was made by Jasper Poppe. It was the first pie the fourth grader made entirely by himself.

kpasson@newmedia-wi.com