Conference turris::cooks

If you don't mind a sour note....

Key Lime Pie used to be made with Key Limes. These were limes that were
native to the Florida Keys. I'm not sure if they can be had for love or
money anymore, since they were a whole lot smaller and less impressive
looking than the Persian lime (which is what you see in the stores). Of
course, the Persian lime's taste is insipid, when compared to the Key
lime, but that's no problem -- most people buy with their eyes, not with
their palates. It seems to be the same problem that afflicts strawberries
(i.e., the ones that are almost the size of a golf ball aren't worth eating,
it's the little ones that have the flavour) -- people think that the
size is important, and don't seem to realize that breeding for size, say,
or resistance to bruising, generally gets accomplished at the expense of
the flavour. At the risk of sounding like a flaming paranoid, it almost
appears that there are a horde of geneticists, carefully breeding fruits
and vegetables for almost every attribute EXCEPT why you'd want to eat them.

Don't ask me about tomatoes.

Dick

Stacey:

This is a receipe I got from a restaurant in Key West.  You can use a 
ready made crust or make your own; this is for the "stuffin'".

Mix together:

1    Can sweetened condensed milk
4    Egg YOLKS
1/2  Cup key lime juice

Beat 1 Egg WHITE stiff.  Fold into above mixture.  Pour into baked pie 
shell.

Beat 3 egg WHITES and gradually add 6 Tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 
teaspoon Cream of Tartar.  Spread over filling forming peaks.  Bake at 
350 until egg whites are golden brown.

Happy eating...
Billie

Unfortunately, as .1 points out, this is only REALLY good with Key limes,
which are very difficult, if not impossible, to come by.

--PSW

    I saw a small jar (about pint sized) of Key Lime Juice, which is,
    I assume, just for making Key Lime Pie since alot of people really
    love it.  So next time you're in the grocery store, look in the
    baking/cooking section and see if you can't locate the Key Lime
    Juice.
    
    Renee

    any time i have friends visiting florida (i don't go often myself),
    i have them bring me a bag of key limes...they aren't that hard
    to find at farmstands, at least during the summer.  in february,
    a friend brought me a bottle of "nellie & joe's" key lime juice.
    this is a 16 ounce bottle, which makes about 5 very good pies. 
    i modify their recipe by adding the grated peel of a LEMON, and
    can barely tell the difference between that and a pie made from
    scratch.  [i also prefer a regular, rather than graham cracker crust
    and a merengue topping]
    
    a couple of months ago, i found that this juice is available at
    gourmet stores here in mass...i have seen it at julio's liquors
    in westboro, and one other place that escapes me right now...for
    LESS than my friend paid for it in florida!!

    I got a bottle of "Nellie and Joe's" key lime juice at Idylwilde Farms
    (of course) in Acton. I made my first pie last night. We'll see
    how it is tonight.
    
    Tamzen 

    RE -.1:      
    
    >>You can get it in the Manion's Star Market in Bedford, Mass.  
    
        Manion's is in Burlington, not Bedford. 
    
        As you come in the door, you will find the key lime
        juice immediately on your right, in the corner next
        to the Bartender's drink mixes.  It's on the shelves
        with the other imported and "goor-mee" foodstuffs.
         
        
        -mrs o 
    

    I made this recipe for Easter and it was very good, so I thought
    I'd post it here.  It came from a magazine which featured "nutritious
    recipes" (this recipe is high in calcium) so that should be a good
    enough excuse to make it! 
    
                            RICOTTA KEY LIME PIE
                            --------------------
    
    1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
    3 TBS butter, melted
    1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
    1 envelope unflavored gelatin
    2/3 cup sugar, divided
    2 eggs, separated
    1/2 cup fresh lime juice
    1/2 cup water
    2 tsp. grated fresh lime peel
    Lime slices, for garnish
    
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In small bowl combine crumbs and melted
    butter.  Press onto bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. 
    Bake 7 - 8 minutes, until lightly browned.  Set aside.
    
    Meanwhile, in blender or food processor, puree ricotta.  In saucepan
    combine gelatin and 1/3 cup sugar.  Stir in egg yolks, lime juice
    and water.  Let stand 1 minute.  Cook, stirring, over low heat until
    gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes.  Whisk in ricotta and lime
    peel.  Refrigerate until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from
    a spoon, 30 - 45 minutes.  Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
    Gradually beat in remaining 1/3 cup sugar; beat until stiff.  Fold
    into ricotta mixture.  Spoon filling into pie crust.  Refrigerate
    3 hours.  Garnish with lime slices.
    
    
      

    It's on Central St. in Acton, right down the street from BXC, the
    new site in Boxborogh.  Where are you coming from, .12?
    
    Cara

    Central Street intersects with Rt 111 in West Acton Center.  Coming
    from Boxboro on 111, take a left onto Central St.  Idylwilde is about a
    half mile on the left.

    I have a question regarding the lime juice used in this pie.  Is there
    a difference between lime juice and key lime juice?  Is Roses lime
    juice an acceptable substitute?  If there is a product made
    specifically for making a a key lime pie, could someone kindly tell me
    where I could get this in southern/central NH?  Thanks.

    Yes, there is a difference between key lime juice and "regular"
    or Persian lime juice. Key limes are named for the Florida keys
    where they grow and are much smaller than Persian limes, the variety
    normally sold in stores. Key limes are much more tart than Persians
    and usually more expensive. I made the Key Lime pie with fresh-
    squeezed Key Lime juice and found it to be inedible: It was _so_
    tart that no amount of sweetened whipped cream helped. If I ever
    make it again, which is unlikely, I'll use Persian lime juice.
    
    Rose's Lime juice is an entirely different matter. It's sweetened
    Persian lime juice and good only in a gimlet, IMHO.
    
    There are sources for Key Lime juice listed in this file, if you
    really want to pucker. 
    
    Mike, whose-eyes-water-when-he-thinks-about-the-dreaded-key-lime

      Simple and rich and very good. Make it with ordinary Persian limes.
      


                           LIME PIE
                           ________

      8 oz cream cheese, softened
      14 oz can sweetened, condensed milk
      8 oz container Cool Whip
      3/4 to 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

      9 inch prerpared graham cracker crust

      Beat together cream cheese and condensed milk. Add about two
      thirds of the Cool Whip and then the lime juice. Turn into the
      pie shell and cover with the remaining Cool Whip. Refrigerate
      until serving time.

      Depending upon the size of the limes, this could take eight or
      more limes. I suppose you could use bottled juice, but some
      freshness will be lost.