Eyes on the pies
By Melinda Harrell
Published in News on October 4, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Coordinator Leigh Sanders accepts an entry from Lori Jones and her daughter Sarah, 12, Tuesday during the Pie Baking Contest at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair. Sarah baked a chocolate custard pie with a mile-high meringue pie.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Willis Underwood tastes a pie in the "other" category as he judges the pies in this year's competition. Usually a barbecue cooking judge, Underwood has been involved with the competition several years.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Fruit pies, including the one pictured with edible leaf decorations wait to be judged during the annual pie baking competition.
The pie baking contest at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair boasted 76 entries Tuesday, but it also is more than a competition for some people -- it is a family tradition and a source of pride.
The contest involves three generations of Lori Jones' family. Her daughters Sarah,12, and Meredith, a senior at Charles B. Aycock High School, along with her mother Carolyn Lewis come out each year to compete.
This year, they brought the coveted chocolate chess pie and a chocolate custard pie with mile-high meringue.
"We have to take turns with the chocolate chess pie recipe," Lori said.
"Every year, we rotate who makes it because it is so good. Last year, it won first place."
Meredith prepared the chocolate chess this year.
"I made the chocolate chess," she said.
"It's a family recipe and new person, between the girls, enters it every year."
Sarah made the chocolate cream pie, which is usually prepared by Carolyn.
"This is the first time Sarah has made the chocolate cream pie," Lori said.
"It's usually my mom that makes this one."
Suzanne Tyner entered her pumpkin pie this year and her father Larry Butts submitted a key lime pie. For the past 25 years, they have come to the competition to offer up their pies for consideration.
"I started first, and he joined a later," Suzanne said.
"I'm usually the pie carrier," Larry said with a laugh. This year, Larry submitted an ornate key lime pie into the competition, ladened with whipped cream, zest of lime and a single wedge of lime in the center.
"The hardest decision I had to make is what to do with the rest of the lime. I only used one slice on the pie," Larry said.
Suzanne laughed and said, "His claim to fame is that pie."
She submitted her pumpkin pie -- a pie she put a lot of thought into.
"My pumpkin pie is in the custard category," she said. "That's a steep competition, so I have a recipe to make my pie more fluffy for it."
She said the pie baking contest is always near Larry's birthday, and each year, they submit their pies and then she gets him something to eat in celebration.
Eddie Johnson, 16, did not submit any pies with his family members, but he did prepare one they inspired.
He made a caramel apple pie.
A pie that took him five to six hours to prepare from scratch, he said, was made with more than an eye on victory.
With a smile, he crossed his arms and explained many older people can't enjoy the taste of a candied apple at the fair because their false teeth won't hold up to the candy coating and apples themselves, and with that in mind, he baked his pie.
"A lot of older folks can't eat candied apples," he said. "I made this pie, so older people can eat it and not mess up their false teeth. I have a grandma and my brother has a partial bridge. This pie is easy on the elderly, and it's senior day, so it's the best pie to bring."
The pie baking contest featured an adult and youth age groups with five pie-style categories of fruit, cream, custard, nut and other.