Sauce contest
Do you have a good barbecue sauce recipe? If so, you could be the winner of the Hittin’ the Sauce contest, part of the Big Pig Roast, the annual fundraiser event at Crabtree Farms. In addition to prizes still to be revealed, the winner will be featured in a future Taste section.
The sauce contest is a new addition to this family event, which includes a locally crafted dinner and live music at the farm on Saturday, Oct. 16. All types of sauces are welcome: tomato, hot, vinegar – any kind you want to enter.
This contest is open to amateurs and professionals, everyone from backyard sauciers to restaurateurs. Teams are encouraged. The price to register is $50 for backyard teams and $100 for businesses. The entry fee includes two tickets to the Big Pig Roast for you and your team. Log onto www.crabtreefarms.org and click on “Events” to register.
Popcorn sale
Members of the Cherokee Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America are in the midst of their annual popcorn sale. The introduction of new sizes this year will give consumers, on average, 20 percent more product than before.
There are several varieties. Unbelievable Butter microwave popcorn, Butter Light microwave and ready-to-eat Cheese Corn are made with canola oil, with 0 grams of trans fat and low saturated fat. The microwave products have new “Butter Burst” flavoring for a more robust butter flavor. And my must-have favorite, the gourmet caramel corn with almonds and peanuts, is made with natural sweeteners. Popcorn maker Trail’s End also offers chocolate products containing no hydrogenated oils.
More than 70 percent of sales stays in the community, going to support programs of the local council.
The popcorn sale goes through Nov. 1. For the first time scouts will have popcorn available in hand so you’ll get it as soon as you pay for it, said spokesman Kevin Beirne. Or it can be ordered in advance and delivered to your home in mid-November, just in time for gift-giving this Christmas. If you don’t know a Boy Scout, call 892-8323 to be hooked up with one, or you can order online at www.Trails-End.com. In the upper right-hand corner, make sure to click “Support” in the green box (upper right) and enter your ZIP code to ensure that your purchase supports our local Scout programs.
Preservation class
The University of Tennessee Extension’s July food preservation class was so popular, with almost 100 people in attendance, that another class has been scheduled 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19. Participants will learn the basics of canning and freezing foods, including how to safely make and can jams and jellies, pickle foods, put them in a waterbath, blanch them and use a pressure canner. There will be door prizes, too. Cost is $20 per person. Mail a check or money order, made out to UT Extension, to 6183 Adamson Circle, Chattanooga, TN 37416. Cash payments can be made between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. No refunds will be given after noon Oct. 12. Call 855-6113 for more information.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6285.