Key Lime Pie I (2024)

FAQs

What is the meaning of key lime pie? ›

Meaning of key lime pie in English

a sweet food made from key limes, eggs, and condensed milk (= thick, very sweet milk sold in a can), usually on a pastry base and sometimes with meringue (= light, sweet food made by mixing sugar with egg white) on top: Key lime pie is a popular American dessert.

The biggest culprit of a runny key lime pie is not letting it chill for long enough. Since this is one of those summer pie recipes that's not baked, chilling the pie helps it set and prevents it from being runny. Be sure to chill it for at least 12 hours!

Combining the lime juice with the egg yolks and condensed milk creates a chemical reaction that causes the mixture to thicken all on its own (the acid causes the proteins in the yolks and milk to bond together).

The tell-tale sign that your key lime pie is overbaked is the lack of movement that occurs when you nudge the pie dish. If there is hardly any jiggling, and the edges of the filling are slightly raised and cracked, this means you left it in the oven for too long.

Gently Nudge It

Similar to how you check a cheesecake for doneness, open the oven door and gently nudge, don't shake, the pie. The outer edges of the pie should be firm while the center will be a little jiggly, but not sloshy or unsteady.

key lime pie, an American dessert that consists of a graham-cracker or pastry crust, a yellow custard (primarily egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and key lime juice), and a topping of either whipped cream or meringue. The sweet and tart pie reportedly originated in Key West, Florida, in the late 19th century.

Named for the Florida Key limes used in the original recipe, Key lime pie is a Southern classic and has even been declared the official Florida state pie.

The Key lime has thinner rind and is smaller, seedier, more acidic and more aromatic than the Persian lime (Citrus × latifolia). It is valued for its characteristic flavor. The name comes from its association with the Florida Keys, where it is best known as the flavoring ingredient in Key lime pie.

Unless you live in the Florida Keys, key limes are near impossible to find. Furthermore, they're so tiny that you'd need to juice at least twenty of them for this recipe. No thank you! Ordinary limes make an exceptional Key lime pie, and they are a much better alternative to bracingly tart bottled Key lime juice.

People expected their authentic Key lime pies to be green, matching the bright green lime color of the Persian limes they saw in their grocery stores. Key lime pie filling, however, takes its yellow color from the egg yolks used in its production.

Why is my key lime pie weeping? ›

As it turns out, undercooking and overcooking can both cause weeping meringue and unwanted moisture on top of your pie (aka beading). Overcooking meringue causes those little sugary drops of moisture on top of baked meringues.

If you're making homemade fruit pie filling and it's always runny and wet, add a tablespoon or two more of cornstarch to it and cook it in the microwave for about three minutes or until it's thick, then put it in the pie shell and bake it. Should come out fine, let it completely cool before you cut and serve the pie.

If over cooked, even by a few minutes, it will result in a thicker undesired texture. After the 10 minutes you will begin to see little bubbles forming at the surface of the pie.

Make sure to use sweetened condensed milk and NOT evaporated milk. Usually, when someone says their recipe didn't set up, it is because they used the wrong ingredient. Use key lime juice and not regular lime juice.

Because key limes are ever-bearers, blooms can develop at sometimes widely varying times. This causes an uneven development of fruit across the tree. Be sure to wait until the fruit turns begins to turn yellow before harvest. That's when it's mature to eat!

One of the most common and easily remedied key lime pie problems is over-baked pie. It's tricky to know when the pie is done, but here's my secret: bake the pie until the filling is only slightly jiggly in the center (about 18–20 minutes). It should be firm to the touch, but not totally solid.

How to Tell Your Limes Are Ready. Unlike larger Persian limes, the smaller key lime has a slightly yellow coloring when it's fully ripe. The skin should have a fine grain like leather. An entirely yellow lime has reached the peak of maturity.

People expected their authentic Key lime pies to be green, matching the bright green lime color of the Persian limes they saw in their grocery stores. Key lime pie filling, however, takes its yellow color from the egg yolks used in its production.