As part of the 28th Annual Conch Republic Independence Celebration, a Giant 7′ Key Lime Pie was baked to benefit the Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden and Military Memorial in Mallory Square. Supplying an estimated 750 slices, the pie was made with over 1200 key limes, 20 pounds of sugar, ninety 14 oz cans of condensed milk, and 1300 eggs. This was certainly a pie for the record books.
That's Bob Bernreuter with the chef's hat.
Bob Bernreuter, pictured above with the Chef’s hat, baked one of these pies in 1984 for a “Conch Day Event” at our State’s Capitol in Tallahassee, Fl. Click on the link below for a newspaper article on the event -
I enjoyed one of those estimated 750 pieces and it would appear that 749 other people did as well. When I went back for a second piece an hour later the baking pan was empty!
Empty 7' Key Lime Pie baking pan
Check out the Photo Gallery for more pictures from the event. Below is a little legislative jargin regarding my favorite dessert, Key Lime Pie and its importance to Key West and the State of Florida.
In 1965, Florida State Representative Bernie Papy, Jr. introduced legislation calling for a $100 fine to be levied against anyone advertising key lime pie that is not made with key limes. The bill did not pass.
In 1994, the State Legislature officially recognized Key lime pie as an important symbol of Florida. The road to becoming the official state pie, was not an easy one. Since the 1980s, North Florida lawmakers have debated that a pie made of pecans, grown in Florida, would better reflect the state’s history. House Bill 453 and Senate Bill 676 of the Florida Legislature’s Regular 2006 Session made the Key Lime Pie the official Florida state pie as of July 1, 2006.
