Utah 4-H Cooking Challenge Focuses on Pitted Fruits

The Utah 4-H State Cooking Challenge features a competition centered on pitted fruits. This year's theme, titled Pit It to Win It, requires participants to use ingredients such as peaches, cherries, plums, apricots, nectarines, or olives.

The competition was scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2026. Junior and intermediate contestants were scheduled to check in at 2:00 pm, while senior contestants were scheduled to check in at 4:00 pm at the Zion's building.

Participants are required to complete all food preparation on site within a 30-minute timeframe. Competitors must bring their own ingredients, presentation plates or platters, and any cooking appliances required other than a stovetop. The contest is limited to ten registered contestants per division.

Judging criteria for the entries include taste appeal at 70 percent, originality at 20 percent, and appearance or presentation at 10 percent. Ribbons and awards are provided to the top three winners in each division.

Contestants must comply with safe food handling guidelines and obtain a food handlers permit. All entries and recipes become the property of the Utah State Fair, which reserves the right to edit, adapt, or publish the recipes and contestant names without compensation.