Key Limes (and pie!)

Hi,

I have been doing research on the history of pies for a talk I will be doing later this month. My talk will include pictures of the pies as I discuss them, so I am deep into pie baking this moment just to have illustrations.

Part of my research has revolved around Key Lime Pie. I learned the lime, as we know it, is not the lime suggested for this recipe. However, the Key Lime is not native to this country, but to India, and the seeds may have come with Columbus in 1493. Thriving crops of Key Limes were known as early as 1530.

The large lime we know is grown in Florida and in Mexico. The Mexicans grow the large lime for the US market, but keep the key limes for themselves. Just to reconfirm this, I inquired with a Mexican whom I know. I presented him the large lime as well as the Key Lime, he immediately offered a preference for the Key Lime, which he said was the "Mexican Lemon."

Earlier this summer, I saw Key Limes in a Mexican grocery in Highland Park. I stopped in today hoping they may special order these for me. I was more than a little delighted to learn they regularly keep key limes, with fresh stock every 1-2 weeks. So if you are seeking these key limes, then source it via Mexican markets or through my source:

Mike's Farmstand
2070 Green Bay Road
Highland Park, IL 60035
847-433-7532

The Jewel near my house on Foster and Pulaski regularly has key limes in the produce section. Usually they are 10 for $1.

stevez wrote:The Jewel near my house on Foster and Pulaski regularly has key limes in the produce section. Usually they are 10 for $1.

Ms. EC makes a couple Key Lime Pies a year. We have never had a problem finding them. I usually pick them up at Marketplace on Oakton, but have run to Dominick's or Jewel in a pinch. Usually 10 for a buck by me too.

HI,

This availability of key limes is good news. I rarely saw them in the past, maybe once a year I'd find them.

I will need to do a little more research on Key Lime availability. Is our local ease of finding a reflection of our Mexican population and/or our position as a transportation hub? Would someone in Lincoln, Nebraska be able to obtain these as easily? I'm simply thinking out loud.

I bought several plastic mesh bags today to satisfy my short term needs. Each bag was almost 2 pounds for $1.69.

Thanks for the feedback ... it will keep me from putting my foot in my mouth later!

I even see Key Limes fresh occasionally at my local Jewel and Dominicks in Mt. Prospect, so it's not that tough. They're also regularly at the mexican market at Wolf and Camp McDonald in Prospect Hts.

The story I was told about the Key Lime is that it's actually a mutation from a small variety of orange, and that the mutation re-arises periodically in the orange population.

They used to be grown in fairly large quantities in the Florida keys, until a hurricane wiped them out, I think about 20 years ago. Since then, the crop comes almost exclusively from the Carribbean coast of Mexico.

Key limes are sweeter than standard (Persian) limes, and have much less of a floral note to them. In a pinch in marinades and sauces, you could probably use Persian limes with a little orange juice to balance -- but I wouldn't mess with substitutions in a pie.

If you are baking a chess pie as part of your research, could you post the recipe? I haven't found one that I really like. My standard is the pie they serve at the Claudia Saunders restaurant outside Louisville, or else the pie served at Boone Tavern in Berea. which has more nutmeg. Thanks!

When making a lot of pies, you can avoid the tedious task of sqeezing the little buggers by buying a bottle of 100% natural Nellie & Joes Key West Lime Juice at Treasure Island. I've even seen it at Jewel on Touhy and Carpenter. Their web site has some interesting receipies along with info about the company.

P.S. Along with pecan pies, a survey of key lime pies is an ongoing project for me.

Nellie & Joes
1-800-LIME-PIE
www.keylimejuice.com

I wonder if their is some seasonality in key lime production. They were very plentiful in Mexican-oriented markets in July and August but not so frequent lately. When Cermak Produce had them for $1.00-1.20 per bag, we froze juice in ice cube trays. The small Mexican squeeze-type citrus juicers work well for extracting juice while holding most of the plentiful seeds.

Key lime juice with some grated ginger makes a good basting sauce for grilled halibut or tuna. Many recipes that call for lime juice are better with the more complex flavor of key limes.

SteveZ wrote:a survey of key lime pies is an ongoing project for me.

Alright Steve, start telling me what you like to see in Key Lime Pies. If you have any recipe which you find outstanding, please do advise.

If you have any key lime history or trivia, that is worth knowing as well.

Regards,

Apropos of nothing specific in this thread, Key Lime Pie is my absolute favorite dessert. I request it every birthday instead of a cake, and The Wife, after 20+ years of my gentle tutelage, is getting pretty good at making them.

My basic request is that it be "lime-y." That is, I like a lot of tart lime taste to balance out the supersweet graham cracker crust and fluffy meringue.

We usually use Nellie and Joe's, but my preference is to use fresh limes, as something is inevitably lost in the bottling of the lime essence.

Hammond

stevez wrote:P.S. Along with pecan pies, a survey of key lime pies is an ongoing project for me.

Cook's Illustrated recipe for Key Lime pie.

CI Key Lime Pie
You may have to be a member to access the link.

Cook's Illustrated recipe for Key Lime pie

Hi,

I have made that recipe to a critical thud.

If you made it, did you like it?

Regards,

I have made key lime pie with both key limes and with some Key Lime juice imported from Florida. I could not tell that there was any appreciable benefit from sqeezing the limes myself and getting the juice out was a lot more difficult than squeezing normal limes.

Just my 0.02 on the subject.

Cathy2 wrote:

SteveZ wrote:a survey of key lime pies is an ongoing project for me.

Alright Steve, start telling me what you like to see in Key Lime Pies. If you have any recipe which you find outstanding, please do advise.

If you have any key lime history or trivia, that is worth knowing as well.

Regards,

The way I see it, key lime pies fall into two camps...well three, actually frozen and unfrozen, the third category being abomination. (ever had KLP at a Baker's Square?). I find myself firmly in the frozen camp. Frozen KLP must be presented after being given a chance to thaw sufficiently so that the filling is of a consistincy of soft ice cream. If it is served too hard, the subtlties of the taste of the key limes is lost. Also, the pie should be very "lime-y" as Hammond has pointed out. Lastly, the pie should be topped by a dollop of fresh whipped cream applied after the pie has had a chance to rest at room temperature as described above. The slice of pie should not be covered completely, as too much cream will dilute the lime-yness of the filling. Many good versions put a ring of whipped cream around the outside edge of the pie with a pastry bag as an alternative to the dollop. I find this perfectly acceptable in restaurant-served KLP, although individual dollops are the way to go in smaller settings. Like any pie, the key to success, of course, is the crust. KLP is traditionally sherved in a graham cracker crust and I find the ones in premade crusts to be less than satisfactory. One of the best examples of this style of KLP can be found at Joe's Stone Crab in Miami and, I am happy to say, here in Chicago at the pseudo-Joe's downtown. Here's their recepie. It looks to be deceptively simple for turning out such a good pie. Give it a try and let me know what you think. There are also a couple of recepies on the Nellie & Joe's website and one on the bottle.

ekreider wrote:The small Mexican squeeze-type citrus juicers work well for extracting juice while holding most of the plentiful seeds.

Hi,

Is this like the bar-type of citrus squeezer? Where it has a grate to keep the seeds back? Or a tool unique for Key Limes? At the moment, having bought 4 bags and probably over 100 Key Limes, I am committed to processing these.

I don't have a time to look but does Nellie and Joe's offer a similar product in Seville oranges? From my experience last Winter, these take quite a while to juice also.

Cathy2 wrote:

ekreider wrote:The small Mexican squeeze-type citrus juicers work well for extracting juice while holding most of the plentiful seeds.

Hi,

Is this like the bar-type of citrus squeezer? Where it has a grate to keep the seeds back? Or a tool unique for Key Limes? At the moment, having bought 4 bags and probably over 100 Key Limes, I am committed to processing these.

I don't have a time to look but does Nellie and Joe's offer a similar product in Seville oranges? From my experience last Winter, these take quite a while to juice also.

It appears from their website that they offer key lime and lemon juice only.

Here's the recipe I've been using for decades. It originally came from a postcard my parents found in Miami in the 70's when we used to visit my grandparents most winter vacations:

4 Eggs, separated
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup key lime juice
Graham Cracker Crust
Whipped cream
Preheat oven to 350° F.

1) Beat 4 yolks+1 white until thick. Add milk, beat, add juice, beat.
2) In a new bowl and with clean beaters, beat 3 whites until still and fold into the juice mixture
3) Pour into a baked pie shell (back then, we'd just buy a graham cracker crust -- now we wouldn't think of it) , bake for 15 minutes
4) Serve chilled, topped with whipped cream

The kind I am talking about is looks a bit like a plastic garlic press with curved pieces. The bottom is concave with holes. The upper jaw has a convex pusher. You put half a lime cut side down in the concave part and squeeze. The smaller size is good for key limes on up to medium lemons. Larger than that we use a reamer. Doing a couple of pounds of key limes will provide the equivalent of a good workout with hand grips.

Many Mexican grocery stores carry them in two sizes. We bought one at Cermak Produce in the 4200 block of North Kedzie; Harvest Time also carries them. I would start looking at the nearest fruit market with substantive Mexican business. Since the ones I have seen are in very bright colors, they stick out from the household gadgets display.

ekreider wrote:The kind I am talking about is looks a bit like a plastic garlic press with curved pieces. The bottom is concave with holes. The upper jaw has a convex pusher. You put half a lime cut side down in the concave part and squeeze. The smaller size is good for key limes on up to medium lemons.

Hi,

I went to our local Mexican market, which had these in metal "Made in China." These juicers worked like a charm. It took longer to slice them in half, than to juice them. A kitchen gadget for under $5, which works like it should.

Does anyone know where I can purchase a metal lime juicer which would work well on key limes? I am squeezing key limes for pie.

shorty wrote:Does anyone know where I can purchase a metal lime juicer which would work well on key limes? I am squeezing key limes for pie.

Bed Bath & Beyond. Don't forget to use one of their ubiquitous coupons.

We have two fancy Sur la Table versions of what Cathy describes. A smaller green one for limes and a larger yellow one for lemons.

Is it correct that lime juicers for normal size limes also work on small key limes?

shorty wrote:Is it correct that lime juicers for normal size limes also work on small key limes?

Yes, I have a $5 green one from Cermak Produce, like Cathy2 mentions above. I use it for Persian limes and key limes. I also use it for oranges and lemons, but have to cut them into fourths or eighths.