Foods & Nutrition

If judging is to be a learning experience for the 4-H member, it is important that they learn the cause of failures and ways to improve. The suggested foods scorecard and the specific information about judging food items may be helpful in evaluating items.

Tips for Foods Judges

1. Determine what equipment and supplies will be available to you for judging, and determine what you may want to bring on your own. The following are helpful, depending on category. Use tape for your name on those supplies which are yours personally.

􀂃 Tableware – knife, fork, spoon

􀂃 Sharp, long- bladed knife

􀂃 Long serrated knife

􀂃 Paring knife

􀂃 Pie server

􀂃 towel or apron

􀂃 Paper goods – plates, towels, cups

􀂃 Damp sponge

􀂃 drinking water

2. Avoid using hand lotions and perfumes.

3. Use all senses – seeing, touching, smelling, hearing and tasting – in foods judging. Taste is the most subjective. It can be the deciding factor when all other conditions are equal.

4. Be consistent in the methods you use for judging. (This insures fairness to all exhibitors.)

5. In order to check the tenderness and texture of products:

􀂃 Break open biscuits, muffins, rolls and cookies.

􀂃 Cut loaves of yeast breads and quick breads from one-third to one-half the way in from one end. Cut out a thin slice to view the grain, moisture, blending of ingredients, etc.

6. Cut and remove wedges from cakes and pies. Cut wedges large enough to provide optimum evaluation. Avoid cutting corners of cakes. Cakes which are to be judged on decoration only are not to be cut.

7. Feel or taste frostings.

8. Do not open canned foods. Judging is done by visual observation only.