Iowa vegetable farmer sets record straight with ‘enormous' eggplant

An avid giant vegetable grower from southern Iowa set a world record by growing an eggplant that weighed 8.33 pounds.

Additionally, Dave Bennett from Davis County had his eggplant checked by Inspector Ivan Hankins from the Iowa Department of Agriculture’s Weights and Measures Bureau, UPI reported.

According to sources, Hankins confirmed that the new discovery, weighing 8.33 pounds, is the largest in the world.

Speaking to Radio Iowa, Bennett opened up about his journey to growing this record-breaking piece.

"I've been growing eggplants for probably five years now," Bennett told Radio Iowa. "Two years ago I set the state record at 5.6 pounds."

The vegetable enthusiast further stated that the individual was contacted by Guinness World Records and that the application for the record was approved.

Earlier in 2022, an eggplant weighing 7.21 pounds was grown in England. This new record of 8.33 pounds has surpassed the previous record.

"Eventually I will have a plaque that says I grew the world's largest eggplant," Bennett said.

Meanwhile, the world’s largest eggplant is in Bennett’s refrigerator right now, in hopes of entering the Iowa State Fair, Radio Iowa reported.

“I’m going to see what it looks like next week and I might make arrangements about bringing it up (to Des Moines). I don’t know yet,” Bennett said. “It might start wrinkling up and spoiling.”