Sweet victory at the Santa Cruz County Fair: A behind-the-scenes look at the apple pie contest

As one of four judges at the 48th annual Apple Pie Contest on the opening day of the Santa Cruz County Fair, my job was straightforward: help assess and rate nearly 50 entries for appearance, texture and taste. All of the pies contained only apples, with a top and bottom crust. 

But after nearly four hours of tasting on Wednesday, I realized how that simple format can contain astonishing multitudes. Crusts can range from tender to tough, filling can be bland to overspiced, with a texture somewhere between al dente and applesauce. 

I also discovered my physical threshold for pie eating lies somewhere far, far below the 30-plus pies I sampled throughout the day. After four hours, my gut and palate were strained, obliterating my appetite for dinner and breakfast the following morning. I pulled some homemade broth out of the freezer that night, thinking it would soothe my uncomfortable stomach, but opted instead for a cold, fizzy seltzer.   

Did judging the contest ruin apple pie for me forever? No, thank goodness, but I did gain a deep appreciation for great apple pie. Creating the sublime ideal of pie-hood – buttery tender yet flaky crust and sweetly spiced apple filling – is no easy task, and I admired everyone who took the time and effort to put their homebaked, golden-brown hat in the ring. 

Judging for the contest began promptly at noon in a small covered pavilion at Paddy Smith Park, a quiet area at the edge of the fairgrounds, away from the clamor of the food court, fragrant animal pens and the joyful shrieks and mechanical whirls of the rides. 

Dozens of carefully numbered entries were laid out across two 12-foot tables, and several volunteers dutifully ferried them one by one to the me and my fellow judges – Kyle Theriot, the director of vineyard operations at Ridge Vineyards, an acclaimed winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains; Maria Vasquez, a sales representative at berry giant Driscoll’s; and Marcus Mendiola from Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency – where we sat at the front of the stage. 

None of us had participated in the contest before, and I was a little intimidated by the rows of seats set out before us. We had an audience of anywhere from 10 to 25 people throughout the day, and while some were curious passersby or parents with small children looking for a quiet oasis in the chaos, most of them were clearly there to watch us judge their pie. Jess Brown, executive director of the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, which hosted the competition, told us to whisper any critiques to each other with a smile. “There are some bakers out there who will be watching you closely,” he said. 

So, you know, no pressure. 

We were divided into teams of two to tackle the nearly 50 entries. Theriot was my judging partner, and although he told me that this was a new experience for him, I think his care of Ridge’s grapes and blending its award-winning wines gave him a discerning edge. He also grew up on an apple farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where he still lives with his family. Meanwhile, I drew from my four years of food and drink reporting in the county, decades of home baking experience, including many failed pies, and several seasons of the reality TV series “The Great British Bake Off.” 

Here’s how the afternoon went: Theriot and I first dug into around 10 entries in the Masters category, reserved for bakers who had earned a first or second place at the fair in the past. That was followed by around 20 entries into the general Adult category, open to any baker 18 and up, which made up about half of the pies. Next to us, Vasquez and Mendiola scored eight or so Youth entries, submitted by bakers under 18, followed by the other 20 or so Adult pies. Based on our scores, we retasted the top four pies to choose Best in Show, first and second place. 

Each pie is judged on the same criteria, and could earn up to 100 points for appearance, crust and filling. Ten points were possible for both color and shape. The texture of the crust could earn a maximum 25 points, and the taste could earn up to 15. The flavor and texture of the filling could each earn up to 20 points, for a total possible score of 100. 

Theriot and I took our roles seriously, and spent several minutes considering each pie, even before we cut into it. We looked at whether the color was even across the crust, or pale and underbaked, or too dark. Did any filling leak through? Were the edges of the pie neatly crimped, and did it maintain its shape after baking? Did the baker take the time to decorate their pie with an attractive design, or simply slash a steam vent through the middle? 

Then we cut two slices from opposite sides of the pie, and checked to see if it separated cleanly from the pan or not. Was the filling too watery, leaving a pool of sugary syrup behind, or too stiff with cornstarch? Did the apples slide all over, or stay together in an appetizing wedge? 

Next, we assessed the crust, a herculean combination of flour, salt and fat (hopefully, butter). I was looking for a pronounced buttery flavor, and enough salt to balance out the sweetness of the filling. I wanted the texture to be both tender and flaky, and not too tough, stiff or soft. Some pies suffered from underbaked bottom crusts, especially those absolutely loaded with apples; the weight makes it difficult for the dough underneath to cook properly. 

Next, we moved on to the endless combinations of apples, sugar, spices and corn starch. Our ideal filling had fruit that kept its shape without dissolving into mush, buoyed by sugar, warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and maybe a splash of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. We tasted fillings that ranged from very soft to undercooked, too much sugar to not enough, and spices that were either too subdued or overpowering. 

After my crash course, I’m convinced that clove and its cousin, allspice, do not belong in apple pie. Save it for gingerbread cookies; even in small amounts, it’s overwhelming. Also, don’t be afraid of salt! It emphasizes other flavors. And we really couldn’t assume what a pie would taste like based on how it looked. Some of the pies with the best flavor weren’t necessarily the most attractive, and the glamour of a good-looking pie could be lost once Theriot and I bit into it. 

In the end, Best in Show winner Janice Weaver from Santa Cruz earned a high score of 91 for both aesthetics and flavor, with a beautifully decorated pie that boasted a flaky, buttery crust that crackled under the knife. This is her fourth blue ribbon, after wins in 2019, 2021 and 2022. 

“I’m always working toward the flakiest crust I can make, with no soggy bottom,” she said. Weaver uses butter in her crust, instead of shortening or another fat, because she believes it tastes better, and carefully combines it with the flour to create an almost croissant-like texture. 

Inspired by her grandmother, Weaver has baked pies since she was a teenager, usually apple – the favorite of her husband, former pro surfer Robert “Wingnut” Weaver, she said – although she prefers berry or apricot. 

According to Weaver, the secret to a great pie is practice. Even though she’s made countless pies in her lifetime, she still makes a “practice pie” every year before the fair, and gets feedback from her neighbors. 

In addition to repetition and technique, Weaver has an apple guy: organic apple grower Larry Kaufman of Storey Road Farms in Corralitos. Kaufman grows more than a dozen varieties of organic apples, and many of his trees are more than 50 years old, she said. “The first time we met, we walked through the orchard, tasted the apples and experimented until we found the combination that we like,” said Weaver. 

So, which apples made the cut? She’s keeping that part of her recipe to herself, she said: “I’ve sworn myself to secrecy.” 

View Janice Weaver’s Best in Show recipe here.

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