I finally decided it might be fun to try to make my own key lime pie. First of all, of course, you need key lime juice. Not from the limes you're used to seeing in the grocery. Key limes are actually a different species from "regular" limes.
Key limes are also known as Mexican or West Indian limes and grow in tropical and subtropical areas. Key limes grown in Florida are also more aromatic (sort of floral) and the juice is more tart but less acidic than grocery store limes. They are small and spherical, light yellow when ripe instead of green, have more seeds, and have a much thinner skin, which means they don't store well. Key limes are grown in Florida, parts of California, and Mexico, but the ones grown in Florida's alkaline soil are less bitter and juicier than the ones grown in Mexico and California.
Grocery store limes are called Persian or Tahiti limes and are larger and more acidic than Florida Key limes. They are large, dark green, oval-shaped, and juicy. They have thick skins that help them keep longer and ship more conveniently than Key limes. Each Persian lime contains two to three tablespoons of juice, compared to two to three teaspoons in a Key lime.
You can substitute lime juice for key lime juice in recipes, and the taste won't be all that different, especially in sweet recipes like Key Lime Pie, but I really wanted to use real Key lime juice for my first try at making it, so I found bottled (GASP! Heresy!) Key lime juice and used that.
Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Pie (Baked)
9" graham cracker crust
14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks (no whites are used)
1/2 c Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and lime juice. Blend well until smooth. Pour filling into graham cracker pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Top with whipped cream.
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