Making a Key Lime Pie...

I love the ones I've tasted in restaurants, but has anyone baked one of these from scratch?

Did you use juice from true key limes or just use bottled key lime juice/concentrate?

Did you use a meringue topping or just add whipped cream? I've read somewhere that "correct" key limes pies (from the Florida Keys) just use whipped cream with no meringue topping...

Has anyone ever had a positive experience making a "Lime Pie" (not specifically key limes)?

I'm typically a lemon-head. Lately I've been a lime-head.

Jeff

My mother used to make these regularly for us when I was a kid. She used real key limes, when she could get them, otherwise just bottled key lime juice or even regular lime juice. Fresh juice from true key limes turns the quality up a notch--there's nothing else quite like it--but it's still tasty even if made from juice/concentrate from ordinary limes. Mom always used a meringue topping.

-Paul W.

Sounds delicious! I'm thinking of trying my hand with one made from bottled Key Lime juice. But I think I'm going to skip the meringue and just top each slice with whipped cream and see how it goes.

The challenging part will likely be getting the bottom crust to work out...

Jeff

Sounds delicious! I'm thinking of trying my hand with one made from bottled Key Lime juice. But I think I'm going to skip the meringue and just top each slice with whipped cream and see how it goes.

The challenging part will likely be getting the bottom crust to work out...

Jeff

We've made Key Lime pie using real, fresh Key limes. It turns out great (no meringue) but is yellow rather than green in color, if that matters to you. I don't see any reason why bottled Key lime juice shouldn't work for you.

Mark Lipton

Thanks Mark,

I like the yellow color so that shouldn't be a problem.

Jeff

Jeff,
I would weigh in as being strongly OPPOSED to using bottled juice of any kind. They are always "metallic" and unnatural to my taste. I have used both the Key limes and the Persian Limes for pie and there is a difference in taste but the other major difference is what I call the "hand cramp factor"......you will squeeze fewer Persian limes than Key limes for the requisite amount of juice. When I have the luxury of Key limes I use the juice attachment for the Kitchen Aid to juice the whole bag.
I have a terrific recipe that makes a thick layer of filling on a graham cracker crust without meringue topping. It is basically a double recipe for a traditional filling.

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH

Key Lime pies originally were NOT even baked. The limes "cook" the eggs and the filling solidifies.

It's like ceviche.

Real Key Limes are the size of marbles. It is important to find those. Nothing in a bottle is worth eating.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

I may end up trying my first one from bottled juice then, if all goes well, I'll try making one all-natural. Seeing that I don't even know what I'm doing, I may not even notice what I'm missing by using bottled juice...LOL.

I know of at least one place in the Florida Keys that makes a Fried Key Lime Pie. It looks scrumptious! But I better stick to square one before I venture down that path...

Jeff

Green key lime pie? Do you get that by putting in food color? Lime juice is yellow.

-Paul W.

Green key lime pie? Do you get that by putting in food color? Lime juice is yellow.

Yup, that's always been my presumption. Check out the images of key lime pie on the Web. Note the lurid green color of about 1 in 10.

Mark Lipton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_lime_pie

I'm very spoiled: Steve's Key Lime Pies ( http://stevesauthentic.com/wpnew/ ) works out of my neighborhood. No need to do it myself. (They don't ship but the site mumbles something about sending a dozen pies on dry ice to restaurants outside the area.)

Real Key Limes are the size of marbles. It is important to find those. Nothing in a bottle is worth eating.

Sometimes, a bottle of Key Lime juice will simply have to do, however!

I'm very spoiled: Steve's Key Lime Pies ( http://stevesauthentic.com/wpnew/ ) works out of my neighborhood. No need to do it myself. (They don't ship but the site mumbles something about sending a dozen pies on dry ice to restaurants outside the area.)

This is very intriguing. Will keep it on my list of things to eat as an excuse for 'food tourism' around the city.

Sometimes, a bottle of Key Lime juice will simply have to do, however!

Oh, it's like many other seasonal things. The experience is enhanced when you can only have it at certain times of the year.

And, yes, I do as Christina, and juice all the tiny key limes with my KA attachment.

Jeff, what do you mean you are worried about the bottom crust working out?

Jeff, what do you mean you are worried about the bottom crust working out?

I just mean I haven't made a graham cracker crust before so I hope it goes well...

Jeff

I'm very spoiled: Steve's Key Lime Pies ( http://stevesauthentic.com/wpnew/ ) works out of my neighborhood. No need to do it myself. (They don't ship but the site mumbles something about sending a dozen pies on dry ice to restaurants outside the area.)

This is very intriguing. Will keep it on my list of things to eat as an excuse for 'food tourism' around the city.

Available in many food stores, too. (I get them at my butcher, for example.)

As some one who hates to spend a lot of time making a dessert I have always used Nellie & Joe's key lime juice. I use the recipe on the plastic bottle and double it for a 9 inch crust. I have tried other brands but they are not as good as old N & J's.