Key Lime Juice?

Wanting to make a key lime pie for my fiance before she gets to town (it's a favorite of hers). I'm not on the ground in Chicago yet (Friday night I'll be in town)- is good quality key lime juice readily available or should I grab it in DC before I come to town?

Many Jewel and Dominick's stores carry Nellie and Joe's Famous Key Lime Juice. Whole Foods may have it also. Perhaps other places. It is readily available, but perhaps not available *everywhere*. I like this stuff a lot.

You're also likely to see whole key limes, if you want to squeeze the juice yourself.

Edited to add: I would start with this list of stores, http://keylimejuice.com/retailers.cfm. But I am quite certain this brand is carried at more locations than what's on this list.

I never looked for key lime juice, but I have seen the actual key limes at a few stores around town. They are not available at all times, though, so you may want to call to see if anyone has them now.

Trader Joe's always has Key Lime's here in Madison. Might be worth a try calling your nearest location.

I have bought the bottled Key Lime Juice (the aformentioned Nellie and Joe's) at Treasure Island on Clybourn. It might be worth looking in the produce section first if you are interested in fresh ones.

I should add that Nellie and Joe's could potentially show up in a number of places within a store: in the juice aisle, the baking aisle, the cocktail accessories aisle, etc. Don't assume a store doesn't stock it just because you don't see it with the ReaLime brand.

Unfortunately, asking a sales person for help is not always useful.

Hi,

You can buy a bag of key limes inexpensively at most ethnic groceries catering to Mexicans. I would also buy a Mexican juicer or in a press I use my garlic press. From the bag of key limes, you will have juice for more than one pie. I usually freeze the already portioned juice for a future pie.

If you don't like jarred lemon juice, then jarred key lime juice is just as unimpressive.

Regards,

<juicegeek> Nellie and Joe's is made from concentrate and contains preservative (sodium benzoate). There's even some question as to whether it's 100% key or not. I'd recommend getting some fresh key limes instead. Trader Joe's carries them and several stores have them in stock right now. </juicegeek>

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The Nellie & Joe's - at least the N&J product I've seen in stores around here - is not actually made from key limes.

I have seen a bottled key lime juice at Treasure Island (680 N. LSD) that is made from the real thing, according to the label. Sorry, I can't recall the brand.

I have had no problem finding actual key limes (Whole Foods, Trader Joes), making the bottled stuff unnecessary.

ronnie_suburban wrote:<juicegeek> Nellie and Joe's is made from concentrate and contains preservative (sodium benzoate). There's even some question as to whether it's 100% key or not. I'd recommend getting some fresh key limes instead. Trader Joe's carries them and several stores have them in stock right now. </juicegeek>

=R=

Ronnie,

I certainly agree that juice from fresh key limes tastes better than the bottled stuff. I general keep a bottle of this stuff on hand for those times when I'm too lazy to squeeze limes or just can't find them in stock. But I'm curious if you mentioned sodium benzoate because of health-related concerns, or just a general aversion to preservatives.

Darren72 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:<juicegeek> Nellie and Joe's is made from concentrate and contains preservative (sodium benzoate). There's even some question as to whether it's 100% key or not. I'd recommend getting some fresh key limes instead. Trader Joe's carries them and several stores have them in stock right now. </juicegeek>

=R=

Ronnie,

I certainly agree that juice from fresh key limes tastes better than the bottled stuff. I general keep a bottle of this stuff on hand for those times when I'm too lazy to squeeze limes or just can't find them in stock. But I'm curious if you mentioned sodium benzoate because of health-related concerns, or just a general aversion to preservatives.

Neither. I sell juices and concentrates for a living and in my world, non-preserved is almost always preferable to preserved. Preserved product gets brown as it sits outside of refrigeration. Non-preserved product is more perishable and does require frozen storage but that storage mode invariably leads to a better qualilty, more brightly-colored, more accurate-tasting product. Non-preserved juice is closer in character to the original fruit (than preserved) and in most culinary applications, that's preferable. And on that basis, squeezing fresh fruit, when available, is even better.

Also, I'm not a baker but since baking is generally more exacting than other cooking, I figure that preservative could affect the outcome of the final product.

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I just need the bottled stuff, I'm not dealing with squeezing juice for this Key lime pie is so fast to make and I'm going to be making it as an addition to a multi course meal for she and the pup for when they arrive to town- I don't have time for a complex dessert in this meal, hence I work quickly and cut a few corners here and there.

Shame on me maybe, but if it tastes as good in the end I'm fine with it

It's amazing how expensive squeezing your own limes or lemons can be these days. Citrus is so expensive.

jpschust wrote:Shame on me maybe . . .

No, not at all. Many many fine bakeries use bottled/preserved stuff. Nellie and Joe's makes a product that I know -- from personal experience -- produces excellent desserts. I was just thinking that if you were going to Trader Joe's anyway, you wouldn't have to go out of your way to use fresh, since they carry both N&J's and fresh key limes.

Sorry for the shop talk

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They also sell this stuff at Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table.

You can also get the Key Lime Pie recipe from Cook's Illustrated - it uses regular limes (including some zest) and it makes a great pie. It's also a super fast recipe, which you mentioned you wanted.

www.cooksillustrated.com

If you can't log in, I will try to repost the recipe within the rules!

I believe there's no such thing as good bottled lime juice. Bottled anything is subpar to fresh. I've tried real key limes but have found regular persian limes to be tastier(and much easier to squeeze, I might add). Limes are expensive, however if you purchase a bag at Costco, it will be 1/2 the price of a grocery store. The juice can always be squeezed a few days ahead and stored. That gives you the ease of bottled but the taste of fresh.

RevrendAndy wrote:I've tried real key limes but have found regular persian limes to be tastier(and much easier to squeeze, I might add).

I definitely agree. Keys tend to be more acidic, with a decidedly sour note. Persians have a more rounded flavor that includes some actual sweetness. They're also larger (generally speaking) and contain no seeds, so squeezing them is easier.

RevrendAndy wrote:Limes are expensive, however if you purchase a bag at Costco, it will be 1/2 the price of a grocery store.

Lime season in Mexico, where a vast majority of Persian Limes sold in the US originate, ended about a month ago and the price will now creep up steadily until next May or so.

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Persian limes are usually 10/$1 at Stanley's Fruits & Vegetables on Elston & North Ave. BTW, we use N&J Lime Juice to make margaritas and it works wonderfully...

RevrendAndy wrote:I've tried real key limes but have found regular persian limes to be tastier(and much easier to squeeze, I might add).

ronnie_suburban wrote:I definitely agree. Keys tend to be more acidic, with a decidedly sour note. Persians have a more rounded flavor that includes some actual sweetness.

To me, the charm of Key lime pie is that extra-sour flavor.

I've heard that there isn't actually a real Key lime crop any more -- what we find in markets is the same variety grown in Mexico. I've wondered whether the terroir of the Florida Keys makes any difference (the way the same varieties of grapes, potatoes and onions, for example, can differ depending on where they're grown). I suppose the only way to find out is to know somebody in the Keys with a tree in their backyard.

LAZ wrote:To me, the charm of Key lime pie is that extra-sour flavor.

Why not use Persians and add less sugar to get that extra-sour flavor?

RevrendAndy wrote:

LAZ wrote:To me, the charm of Key lime pie is that extra-sour flavor.

Why not use Persians and add less sugar to get that extra-sour flavor?

Because it isn't just about the level of sweetness; the flavor is different. Persian limes have a fruitier, less acid taste, not so mouth-puckery and bitter edged. It's perhaps less pronounced, but akin to the difference between navel oranges and Seville oranges.

jpschust wrote:Shame on me maybe, but if it tastes as good in the end I'm fine with it

You know, I've made key lime pie by squeezing all those little limes. It was time-consuming, but I thought it was worth it. Then once I bought a bag (from the now-closed Delray Farms), went through all the work and ended up with the most bitter pie I'd ever tasted. Probably serves me right for not tasting it more (and earlier). My husband ate it, but I couldn't, even with quite a bit of whipped cream. I considered sugaring it. Anyway, I tried the bottled juice after that, found it pretty good, and have never looked back. Less work, and more reliably consistent.

The Mexican grocers used to sell loose key limes at 20-30/$1. Most everyone that sells key limes now does so in the bags of about 20. The problem with the bags is that unless there is high volume, each bag generally has a few ready to turn and spread to the rest.
Absolutely the best place to buy key limes in the bag is Meijer's-$.99/bag that's a third what most stores charge. I think that they are fresher too because they must move so many at that price.
Weigh me in on the fresh lime vs. bottled big time for the fresh. I cannot imagine a French West Indian "ti" punch without a fresh, preferably key, lime.
When the limes start to turn, they can be squeezed into ice trays, and after being frozen, put in ziploc bags.

Just to be clear here, I don't think anyone in this thread is claiming that bottle juice is better than freshly squeezed. There's simply a time versus taste trade-off. I'm sure everyone finds themselves in a position at some point where they don't have the time or energy to squeeze limes (or juice oranges, or make apple sauce from scratch...). The question is whether the bottled stuff produces a passable substitute (then there's the separate question about whether persian limes are better in a particular application than key limes...). Clearly this is a matter of taste and the disutility one gets from squeezing limes.

MLS makes a great point - I can't believe how many times I've thought about buying a bag of key limes, only to find that half are already turning. Finding a good source is important!

Snark wrote:It's amazing how expensive squeezing your own limes or lemons can be these days. Citrus is so expensive.

Was this sarcastic? (hey, you can't blame me for asking, based on your username!)

Citrus is expensive if you shop at Dominick's (limes, 2/$1) but not expensive if you shop at Harvestime or <insert> where you can get them 10 or 20/$1.

BTW I make a keyless lime pie, combining 1/2 cup of juice from regular limes, a can of sweetened condensed milk, and 4 egg yolks, baked in a graham cracker crust for 25 minutes at 325 degrees. Must have whipped cream as a topping, that's the key to having keyless lime pie.

It seems to me, as someone who has been conducting my own extensive worldwide survey of Key Lime Pies for over 25 years, that a pie made with Persian limes is not a key lime pie. It may be good, but it's simply a lime pie. Calling it anything else is misleading and is as big an abomination as serving a Maxwell Street Polish on Gonella bread.

stevez wrote:It seems to me, as someone who has been conducting my own extensive worldwide survey of Key Lime Pies for over 25 years, that a pie made with Persian limes is not a key lime pie. It may be good, but it's simply a lime pie. Calling it anything else is misleading and is as big an abomination as serving a Maxwell Street Polish on Gonella bread.

I'm with you on the key lime pie nomenclature, but have to beg to differ on the Maxwell Street Polish thingie. Not to scratch on an old wound...

stevez wrote:It seems to me, as someone who has been conducting my own extensive worldwide survey of Key Lime Pies for over 25 years, that a pie made with Persian limes is not a key lime pie. It may be good, but it's simply a lime pie. Calling it anything else is misleading and is as big an abomination as serving a Maxwell Street Polish on Gonella bread.

"Misleading" implies that the baker is not forthright about the type of limes used, which doesn't seem to be the case here. More generally, I think a lot of people use the term "Key lime pie" much they way they refer to grilling as barbeque. Not the same thing, but not exactly a high crime either.

edit: oops, messed up