The Golden Spoon Award for P.E.I.'s best mustard pickles has been handed to Nancy Gallant of O'Leary, P.E.I., for the third consecutive year.

The contest is the brainchild of Spencer Gallant. The 26-year-old and his good friend Chris Matheson used to eat mustard pickles on Saturday nights "straight from the jar, spoon in hand" while listening to the Hoedown on CFCY radio, and debate whose mother's pickles were best.

It's a great way to preserve the art of preserving. — Spencer Gallant

"We figured we must make it a formal competition," said Gallant. They did so three years ago, seeking a few submissions from friends and neighbours to round out the field.

This year, Gallant invited three friends — Al Douglas, Lincoln Key and Morgan Campbell — to be judges in a blind taste test. He even created a rubric for judging based on best aroma, flavour, texture, balance and appearance.

They had six entries this year, from O'Leary to Charlottetown and "a couple from Down East as well," he said.

"We wanted to broaden out the competition to more and more people," Gallant said. "Every year I plan on growing it a little bit more."

'Prestigious trophy'

Nancy Gallant, who happens to be Spencer's mother, came out on top again.

The Golden Spoon Award for P.E.I.'s best mustard pickles was created by Spencer Gallant. (Submitted by Al Douglas)

"The judges were not influenced at all — I was not part of the judging ... there was no tampering of any pickles," Gallant claims.

The award is a gold spray-painted spoon glued to a small wooden plaque — Gallant calls it "the most prestigious trophy in pickling."

What makes Nancy Gallant's recipe a perennial winner? She keeps it secret, her son said, "but rumour has it she sprinkles a bit of extra love in every jar."

Next year will be even bigger

Many more people have expressed an interest in submitting their mustard pickles to be judged in 2018.

One of the entries in the blind taste test, with the scoring sheet. (Submitted by Al Douglas)

"Everybody says that their mother's or their grandmother's are the best, but people gotta put their money where their mouth is," Gallant said.

"It's a great way to preserve the art of preserving."

Gallant enjoys eating his pickles straight up or with some haddock and boiled potatoes, but said he's considering having some meat pie on hand for next year's Golden Spoon Award "to cleanse the palate between jars."

Gallant makes beer at Charlottetown's P.E.I. Brewing Company for a living.