My, my, my...my key lime pie..experts needed
Jan 26th, 2008, 10:25 AM
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My, my, my...my key lime pie..experts needed
Looking for the best key lime pie in key west. Had a piece at Pepes 2 years ago and it was pretty good but we were not blown away. Please help.
Jan 26th, 2008, 11:28 AM
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The best in my book is the very basic recipe. The real clue is good key lime juice (NOT regular lime juice). I've had some pretty involved recipes and frankly none of them have topped the basic one in my book.
Blend well 4 fresh egg yolks with one can Eagle condensed milk and 1/4 cup key lime juice. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust and chill for several hours or overnight.
(You can also bake it for 20 minutes at 325 degrees if you worry about uncooked egg yolks. I really don't see how it changes the pie either way and I use organic eggs, so just don't worry).
Top with whipped cream (some make meringue with the unused egg yolks and top the pie, I prefer whipped cream).
Duh. Now I realize you were looking for a restaurant to have some. Gee, don't know. You can make a great whole pie so easy for a couple of dollars, so I just don't get buying a piece "hit or miss" for $7 or so in a restaurant.
Blend well 4 fresh egg yolks with one can Eagle condensed milk and 1/4 cup key lime juice. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust and chill for several hours or overnight.
(You can also bake it for 20 minutes at 325 degrees if you worry about uncooked egg yolks. I really don't see how it changes the pie either way and I use organic eggs, so just don't worry).
Top with whipped cream (some make meringue with the unused egg yolks and top the pie, I prefer whipped cream).
Duh. Now I realize you were looking for a restaurant to have some. Gee, don't know. You can make a great whole pie so easy for a couple of dollars, so I just don't get buying a piece "hit or miss" for $7 or so in a restaurant.
Jan 26th, 2008, 11:42 AM
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How funny! It confused me that you didn't bake your pie because it sounds just like my mom's recipe, then - duh! - I realized we bake ours because of the meringue topping. I think I'll try whipped cream next time as my boys always take the meringue off and leave it on their plates. I do add some grated lime peel to mine - maybe a tsp.
Jan 26th, 2008, 01:04 PM
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I love the Key Lime Pie on a stick at Kermits http://www.keylimeshop.com/html/key_lime_pie.html
Jan 26th, 2008, 01:08 PM
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NeoPatrick is correct about the juice being the "key" ingredient. IMO, the absolute best key lime juice is Nellie & Joe’s <http://www.keylimejuice.com/>.
If you are going to a restaurant in Key West, ask your server what kind of key lime juice they use. I once asked this question in a waterfront restaurant in Seward, Alaska and was blown away when the answer was "Nellie and Joe's". And yes, the pie was excellent with just the right amount of tartness.
If you are going to a restaurant in Key West, ask your server what kind of key lime juice they use. I once asked this question in a waterfront restaurant in Seward, Alaska and was blown away when the answer was "Nellie and Joe's". And yes, the pie was excellent with just the right amount of tartness.
Jan 26th, 2008, 01:23 PM
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Well, I'll disagree with that. Nellie and Joe's may be the best BOTTLED juice (I bought another brand once that was just awful), but the only REAL way to do it is to squeeze your own key limes, preferably right off the tree.
Jan 26th, 2008, 02:00 PM
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NeoPatrick,
I'd like nothing but the best so I'm going the route of squeezing my own key limes. I'm pretty patient but I need to have some idea of how long I will have to wait to squeeze fresh limes from the time I plant the tree here in northern Minnesota?
I'd like nothing but the best so I'm going the route of squeezing my own key limes. I'm pretty patient but I need to have some idea of how long I will have to wait to squeeze fresh limes from the time I plant the tree here in northern Minnesota?
Jan 26th, 2008, 04:59 PM
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Key limes differ than regular limes, they are smaller and yellow and taste "tartier". Key limes are no longer grown in The Keys but in Mexico. Key Lime trees were wipes out a very long time ago in florida from storms. So I would think it is safe to say most of the Key Lime Pie you have is from bottled key lime juice from Mexico/Central America. Key lime Pie made with real Key Lime juice has more of a yellowish color, not greenish. Having some great gourmet markets where I live I am sometimes able to get fresh Key Limes.
When I can't get my hands on real key limes, I use regular limes and follow the traditional recipe. It's just as good
When I can't get my hands on real key limes, I use regular limes and follow the traditional recipe. It's just as good
Jan 26th, 2008, 06:10 PM
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Well here in Naples I have an abundance of friends with prolific key lime trees. I hand carried a huge bag of them to Tucson to make key lime pies, only to find them there in a market anyway.
If I couldn't get key limes and didn't want to use the bottled juice, I'd use regular limes but add about 1/4 lemon juice. Regular limes are far too sweet for my taste.
If I couldn't get key limes and didn't want to use the bottled juice, I'd use regular limes but add about 1/4 lemon juice. Regular limes are far too sweet for my taste.
Jan 26th, 2008, 09:48 PM
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The last time we were in Key West, I tried every key lime pie I could get my hands on. They were all each a little different, some with the graham cracker crust, others with the regular rolled pie crust, and with or without the meringue. Even my mother-in-law in Miami also made her home made version for me to taste.
The Blond Giraffe's was way too sweet for me, but you can give theirs a try and see how you like it. They have a couple locations in Key West.
As it turns out, it is just what NeoPatrick said--home made is the best. My mother-in-law's won hands down.
I have since tried making my own, and I too prefer the whipped cream topping. Sometimes our Safeway brings in fresh key limes when in season.
OK, now my mouth is watering for some. I am in the middle of a 30-hour juice fast.
The Blond Giraffe's was way too sweet for me, but you can give theirs a try and see how you like it. They have a couple locations in Key West.
As it turns out, it is just what NeoPatrick said--home made is the best. My mother-in-law's won hands down.
I have since tried making my own, and I too prefer the whipped cream topping. Sometimes our Safeway brings in fresh key limes when in season.
OK, now my mouth is watering for some. I am in the middle of a 30-hour juice fast.
Jan 27th, 2008, 04:11 AM
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bellhouse brought up a good point. While I think there is a huge difference between the taste of key limes and lemons, the simple recipe I gave above makes a great lemon merinque pie -- a bit tart, but very good!
Jan 27th, 2008, 05:59 AM
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While there are Key Lime trees in Fl, they are not grown as a "crop". When we were in Key West a year ago, we were told that the hurricane of 1926 wiped out all the key lime trees on the island and with the exception of a few in peoples yards they really no longer exist. In my experience, it takes 20 key limes to make enough juice to make a pie. We tasted most all the key lime pies in Key West and JMHO, the original traditional pie is the best - fresh made graham cracker crust, fresh juice, egg yolks and condensed sweetened milk. You can bake it or not, as the acidity in the lime juice "cooks" the egg yolks. The original is always best in it's purest simplest form - the perfect balance of sweet, tart, crunchy and creamy. Patrick has the recipe above.
Here is the history and old recipe of Key Lime Pie which you might find interesting. http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodpies.html#keylime
Here is the history and old recipe of Key Lime Pie which you might find interesting. http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodpies.html#keylime
Jan 27th, 2008, 07:36 AM
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The best I suppose because it is the most expensive, by far, is at Alice's - black bottom Key Lime pie. The most different is at Blue Heaven - Key Lime marangue pie. But the best Key Lime pie expirience is at the Damn Good Food Co. To Go - Key Lime pie with a cup of cafe con leche with one, not two, sugars. It's right next to the White Tarpon in case you want a Key Lime martini.
Pjk
Pjk
Jan 29th, 2008, 10:31 AM
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Didn't read everything but the Blonde Giraffe wins lots of Key Lime Pie contests. Two or three locations in Key West. One on Front street right at the Bite. Can get either with whipped cream or maringue. Tangy and tasty. My favorite.
