HURON — The 24th annual “Pie in the Park,” was held at Campbell Park on Thursday evening, as the last the family activities in the park for the season. This year, 26 pie enthusiasts entered the contest, and the winning pie was a “Fresh Apple Pie,” baked by Michael Olsen. In second place, Sandra Uecker with apple pie; in third place, Victor Schneider with apple pie; in fourth place was Janice Peterson with a fresh peach pie; and Twyla Folk took fifth place with a strawberry pie.
The judging portion the contest took place at the First Presbyterian Church earlier on Thursday afternoon. It was a close call between Olsen and Uecker’s pies, the judges had to retest and decide which one they liked the best. Judges for this year’s contest were Jodi Kobold, LaRon Klock and John Gard.
After the pie and ice cream had been served, attendees enjoyed their plates accompanied by music by The Brian Burgeleen band on what may have been the perfect summer evening.

Fresh Apple Pie
Michael Olsen, first place
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash salt
Mix and add to 8 cups thinly sliced Braeburn Apples
Pastry for 10-inch two crust pie:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup Crisco shortening
Mix until crumbly.
Mix together and add:
1 egg
1/2 cup ice water
1 Tablespoon vinegar
Combine until dry mix is absorbed. shape into three equal spheres, individually wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out bottom crust, line glass pie plate and trim edge. Pour in apples mixture and dot with two tablespoons butter. Cover with remaining pastry, flute the edges, and cut slits in the top the crust.
Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 F and bake for a further 45 to 55 minutes or until crust in golden brown, filling is bubbly and the apples are tender.

Apple Pie
Sandy Uecker,
second place
7-8 cups thinly sliced tart apples
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
Mix apples with lemon juice. In a small bowl mix the sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves, then mix with apples until all the slices are coated. Pour into bottom pie crust and dot top with butter pieces. Place top crust on pie and cut slits. Cover edges of pie with foil or pie crust shield. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes. Remove pie shield or foil. Reduce to 350 F and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
Freezing option: Mix all the ingredients together and place into a gallon plastic freezer bag. Freeze the apple mixture in a foil pie tin. To use, remove from freezer and let sit while making the crust. Remove from bag and place filling in bottom crust, dot with 2 Tablespoons butter, then add top crust. Bake as instructed above, but filling will take about 15 to 25 minutes longer to bake. Make sure filling is bubbly or pie will not set.

Apple Pie
Victor Schneider
third place
Crust:
3 cups flour
1/4 cup lard
1 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon vinegar
For the filling:
5 cups sliced apples, prefer Granny Smith
1 cup sugar
Dash of cinnamon
5 dots of butter
1/4 teaspoon real lemon

Fresh Peach Pie
Janice Peterson,
fourth place
Filling:
4 cups sliced fresh peaches (about 7 medium)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
Pie crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup Crisco shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water
Mix flour, crisco and salt, blend until resembles pea-size morsels. Add water slowly and work into dough until it forms a ball, knead dough on floured surface a few times into a smooth ball. Let dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Roll out half the dough for top crust and the rest for the bottom crust.
Heat oven to 425 F and prepare pastry. Mix peaches and lemon juice. Sift together sugar, flour and cinnamon; mix with peaches.
Turn into pastry lined pie pan; dot with butter. Cover with top crust which has slits cut in it and seal and flute. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strips aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning and remove foil the last 15 minutes baking.
 Bake 8- and-9-inch pies 35 to 45 minutes, and 10-inch pie 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.

Strawberry Pie
Twyla Folk,
fifth place
6 cups frozen strawberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Pie crust:
2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
Mix with mixer until crumbly, shape into two balls and roll between two pieces wax paper.
Put mixture into bottom crust, add top crust, bake at 375 F for 40 minutes.