How much filling went into a giant Key lime pie in the Florida Keys? See for yourself
You don’t have to be in the Florida Keys to enjoy its signature Key lime pie. But it sure helps.
The Keys delivered on two tracks during the Fourth of July celebration: eating pie and making pie.
Here’s what went down:
Pie-eating contest
New York may have its nationally televised hot-dog-eating contest, but the Florida Keys follows its own path. And Joshua Mogle, a 38-year-old tire manufacturing manager from Altoona, Iowa, beat out 24 competitors in the World Famous Key Lime Pie Eating Championship held in the Southernmost City as part of the Independence Day celebrations in the island chain Tuesday.
Mogle took down his nine-inch pie, which was topped with whipped cream, in three minutes and 35 seconds, said Andy Newman, spokesman for the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.
“My strategy today was just don’t breathe and just keep eating, constantly bringing food to the mouth — just eat, eat, eat,” Mogle said.
A giant Key lime pie
Key lime pie is made mostly from condensed milk, egg yolks and Key lime juice. Newman said the recipe is believed to have originated in Key West in the late 1800s. The crust is usually made from graham crackers. In 2006, it was designated Florida’s official pie by the state Legislature.
And, lots of condensed milk, egg yolks, Key lime juice and graham crackers were needed for the giant pie that was made for — and eaten during — Monday’s celebration of the 200th anniversary of the establishment of Monroe County at Big Pine Community Park in the Lower Keys.
Specifically, 16 gallons of Key lime juice, almost 100 gallons of sweetened condensed milk and about 125 pounds of graham crackers were used to make the 13.14-feet-in-diameter pie, Newman said.
County officials say the pie could end up being the largest Key lime pie ever made.
