BLANDFORD-As the aroma of bowls of cinnamon and nutmeg wafted through the industrial kitchen at the Blandford Fairgrounds, women were knee-deep in dough as they prepped 100 apple pies for the Labor Day weekend festivities.
Staci Iglesias-Blood adds cinnamon and nutmeg to the apples.
The “pie-making bee” – conducted on two consecutive Saturdays – was reminiscent of a bygone era but for these women, led by Staci Iglesias-Blood, the tradition continues on as the Blandford Fair marks a milestone – 150 years of showcasing local agriculture to the masses.
On the morning of Aug. 5, Iglesias-Blood and her crew arrived by 9 a.m. and went to work immediately – from rolling the freshly made dough to overstuffing each pie that would soon be individually sealed and frozen until two days before the fair opens. On Aug. 12, the women were back to making 100 pies – this time stuffed with blueberries.
Rayma Wojcik, Cheryl Hopson, Sarah Hopson, Tasha Hartley and Staci Iglesias-Blood (in background) worked diligently on the morning of Aug. 5 creating 100 apple pies to be featured at the Blandford Fair.
“”All crusts are made from scratch,” said Iglesias-Blood, adding that the apples are harvested from Blossoming Acres in Southwick and the blueberries from Maple Corner Farm in Granville.
Iglesias-Blood purchased 120 pounds of Ida’s Reds and 100 pounds of blueberries to ensure each pie would be chockfull of delicious fruit. Each apple pie consists of six to eight apples.
Staci Iglesias-Blood overstuffs each apple pie.
“Our ingredients are the same for both pies,” said Iglesias-Blood. “We use all-purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and butter.”
During the fair, pies can be purchased for $12 at the dining hall, and for everyone who attends a “Dinner at the Fair,” a slice of apple or blueberry pie tops off the meal. The featured dinners are meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans and cole slaw on Sept. 1; ham, baked beans and cole slaw on Sept. 2; barbecued chicken, baked potato, and corn on the cob on Sept. 3, and pot roast, mashed potatoes and carrots on Sept. 4. Meals also include French bread, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and beverage.
Sarah Hopson, Rayma Wojcik and Cheryl Hopson share a light moment during the hours of preparation work needed to create 100 apple pies.
For these women, making pies for the fair has become a tradition in their families and mothers and daughters were among those participating on Aug. 5.
“I enjoy this time in the kitchen because food is my passion,” said Iglesias-Blood, noting she has been making pies for more than 15 years alongside her mother, Rayma Wojcik, who was also rolling dough. “When I had my own catering business we also wanted to help the fair so we used to run the whole kitchen.”
Rayma Wojcik rolls dough for one of the 100 apple pies that will be available at the Blandford Fair.
While the women no longer oversee the kitchen duties, they make all of the pies and serve the meals during the fair.
“The pies are taken out of the freezer two days before the fair opens and are cooked fresh for the fair,” said Iglesias-Blood.
For Wojcik, working alongside her daughter is a special time which continues to create wonderful memories.
“I have been making pies since I was 12 years old,” said Wojcik, who is now 71. “Pie making is a tradition for New Englanders and it is enjoyable to work with a great group of people.”
Another mother-daughter team working in the kitchen was Cheryl Hopson and Sarah Hopson.
Tasha Hartley and Cheryl Hopson put the finishing touches on the apple pies that will be featured at the Blandford Fair.
“I enjoy making pies and helping out because it is a tradition in our family,” said Sarah Hopson, adding her mother taught her to make pies.
Cheryl Hopson echoed those sentiments.
“I have been making pies for the fair for close to 15 years and we have fun for a worthwhile cause,” she said.
Tasha Hartley, who serves as food service manager at Gateway Regional High School, was also lending a hand because “she is a baker at heart.”
“I have been involved with the fair since I was in middle school,” said Hartley, noting she exhibited in the youth hall for several years. “I love to do pies and wanted to help out.”
All of the women agreed that their time spent in the kitchen is a labor of love because they believe in the fair’s mission – to support agriculture.
Each apple pie featured at the Blandford Fair is overstuffed with Ida’s Reds.
“The Blandford Fair is not commercialized,” said Iglesias-Blood. “Part of the tradition of the fair is to showcase agriculture – from the cows to how products are made.”
For up-to-date information and a full schedule of events at the Blandford Fair, visit its new website, www.blandfordfair.com.
Sarah Hopson puts each apple pie in a sealed bag to be frozen until two days before the start of the Blandford Fair. Pies are cooked fresh daily.
