Tuesday, June 21, 2016

3rd Annual Boilo Contest Scheduled for the Schuylkill County Fair

The Schuylkill County Fair will hold its third annual Boilo Contest (Champaign of the Coal Crackers) on Wednesday, August 3 at 7:30PM in the PA Preferred Culinary Area of the fairgrounds. 

This contest was a huge success last year with a number of participants entering for the first time. It is the hope of not only the judges who had a good time judging the Boilo, but also the fairs hope that more Coal Crackers will participate in this year’s competition. There are two categories for the boilo. There is regular boilo and the Apple-pie Boilo class. The competition is open to all adults age 21 and over from the coal region of PA. Contestants may bring their sealed bottles to be judged to as early at 6:30 to reserve an area to display their product.

Schuylkill County Fair is where “We have good things growing.” A major component of boilo is apple cider. Where else can you find the good things that grow then the goodness of Schuylkill County were you can find locally produced apple cider? The fun comes after the cider is turned into boilo. Boilo has all the makings for “good things growing.”

Boilo is the Champaign of the coal region. This contest is held on Schuylkill County day of the fair. The fair appreciates the support of our county commissioners. Everyone loves a good, old-fashion contest especially here in Schuylkill County. Food contest mean different things to different people. In Texas it is all about chili, but in the mountains of PA, Boilo reigns supreme. Boilo in the anthracite coal regions Boilo isn’t merely a drink, but a legendary health tonic. Boilo is a time-honored tradition. Many people claim the drink to have healthful benefits, a holistic elixir, which account for its popularity during the deep freeze of winter. It is said that the aromatic nectar warms the innards

on a bitter cold night and hastens the exit of colds and flu. This winter we had some bitter cold nights. So what is Boilo you ask? Boilo is a homemade concoction handed down from grandpa. Everyone has a different recipe as much as everybody has a different grandpa. Characteristically boil is a beverage that has a standard recipe that includes citrus fruits, herbs and spices and other ingredients such as honey and ginger ale. The traditional base ingredient in Boilo is moonshine. Many modern recipes have replaced home-brew moonshine with blended whiskey, rye or grain alcohol and are made on a stove top or in a slow cooker.

Interested Yet? Contestants must bring the beverage in a plain sealed jar or bottle. An entry form must accompany the Boilo along with an entry fee of $2.00 per jar. Entry forms may be obtained on the Fair website at www.schuylkillfair.com/ exhibits/. The Boilo will be judged according to its relative merits within the categories. The categories are Boilo, and Apple-Pie Boilo. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third accordingly. The fair reserves the right to remove an exhibit/exhibitor from the competition and are not responsible for the beverage. So look up the family Boilo recipe and make the Champaign of the Coal Region for the Schuylkill County Fair Boilo Contest.

For more information about this contest or other happenings at the fair, visit the fair’s website at www.schuylkillfiar.com/. Schuylkill County Fair runs August 1 – 6 where “We have good things growing.” 33 years and growing better with each year. Follow us on twitter and like us on Facebook.