JUDGES tucked into more than 90 jars of preserve as part of the fifth annual marmalade competition at Fanny's Farm.
With more entries than ever before, six judges tasted samples from 93 jars of marmalade made by customers of Fanny Maiklem's farm shop in Merstham
On Thursday morning, the judges gathered in a converted barn at the farm in Markedge Lane to try out the submitted entries and jot down notes on each sample.
The judging panel comprised: Val Simpson, of Rockshaw Road, Merstham; Elizabeth Armison, owner of the Kingfisher Farm Shop, Abinger Hammer; Sylvia Maiklem; Merstham ward councillor Mark Brunt; Mr Brunt's wife, Lisa; and the Surrey Mirror's Time for Tea feature writer, Mark Davison.
Fanny Maiklem says marmalade-making is becoming more popular every year.
"It's not just women who are making it. It's men, too," she said.
"The benefit of making your own is the taste which lasts longer than the price. It is the warming smell that fills the home as well.
"Marmalade provides one of the 'five-a-day' essentials for the diet and it also makes a good gift for family and friends."
This year there was an increase in the number of marmalades with chilli added as an ingredient, Mrs Maiklem added.
Judging brought some funny moments. Generally, the high standard made it an unenviable task but during a test on the consistency, the contents of one jar were so stiff that the conserve did not fall out when it was held in the air upside down.
Another marmalade was so tough, a remark was made that it should be used to fill the pot holes in Merstham's roads.
And one of the female judges quipped: "I've got a crack in my doorstep. Perhaps I could use it to do a repair."
The most unusual jar submitted was labelled "Squirrel", but this was presumed to be because the maker squirrelled it away in her cupboard.
And nostrils twitched when one jar smelled more of pickled onions than marmalade.
"We told everyone entering not to use jars that had been used for savoury stuff before," said Mrs Maiklem's daughter, Nellie, who is expecting a baby in a fortnight.
Many jars were held up to the light to check on how the fruit had settled. The few runny marmalades were given low marks.
