Protected by an unforgiving sun and braving sugar overloads, five judges ignored the envious glances of hungry observers July 27 and got down to the business of choosing the best and the tastiest of an array of entries in this year’s very nearly annual St. Helena Farmers Market pie baking contest.

Fortified by the enthusiasm of market manager Thalassa Skinner and glasses of calming milk between pie slices, the judges weighed the pros and cons of each entry, quizzing one another on the possible contents of the crust, or the thickening agents and provenance of the fruit, then marked their decisions on a detailed judging sheet.

Conversations were long and intense. Each entry, whether baked by an 8-year-old who loves to cook or a professional dessert maker, was given rigorous scrutiny.

When the winners were finally announced, avid bakers Trinity Lyman, 11, and Ellie Lyman, almost 9, walked away with first prize in the 12 and under category for an organic gravenstein apple pie made from apples picked from their grandmother Virginia’s tree on Hudson Avenue.

Second prize went to a peach/blackberry gallette baked that morning by 11-year-old Grant Jeffcoat who had spent weeks searching for what he considered “the perfect recipe.”

Savannah Turley, 12, entered two pies and earned an honorable mention and words of encouragement for an organic blueberry, blackberry and raspberry pie.

In the 20 and up category, first prize went to Kristen Ansten’s peach and blueberry pie, the only, but nonetheless delicious, entry in that division.

Finally, in the professional category, first prize went to market vendor Mirella Bonissoni, better known for handmade biscotti, who turned her considerable talents to preparing an Apricot Crostata.

Then once again Skinner collected the china plates and stainless steel utensils (no paper plates or plastic forks for these pies) to be washed and set aside for next year’s contest.