Key Lime Pie Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What makes Key lime pie thicken? ›

Here's the science: The acid in the key lime juice reacts with the proteins in the milk to thicken the mixture. That's why you don't need to bake it.

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.

Key limes are quite different to your regular limes. They're smaller, more acidic, and taste slightly more tart and bitter than what you may be used to. That tartness is what makes an authentic Key lime pie from the Florida Keys incomparable.

The only redeeming performance in this film is Simon Pegg as Morgan, the disheveled captive in the bunker who keeps repeating the recipe of Key Lime Pie, over and over again, one ingredient at a time, probably as a way to keep his sanity.

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!

Adding Thickener

A thickener prevents the filling from being too watery by adding a substance that will absorb some of the liquid that seeps out of the fruit. A small amount of thickener should not alter the flavor of your pie. Use cornstarch as a thickener.

While the flavor will be significantly different, you can also use regular limes or a combination of lime and lemon juice. Key Lime Zest: If you cannot get fresh key limes, you can substitute regular lime zest. Make-Ahea​​​​d: This pie can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Mixing your filling will often create many little air bubbles. When you pour the filling into your crust shell, the bubbles will float to the top and will leave tiny craters in your baked pie. To avoid this, pour your filling into the crust and use your kitchen torch to 'pop' the bubbles.

Even if you followed this crucial step for ultra creamy key lime pie, overbaking would still cause the filling to have a more firm, curdled consistency instead of a soft and velvety one. What you actually want to see when you give your pie a shake is some jiggling in the middle and slightly set edges.

Why is key lime pie so good? ›

The most pivotal part of the pie is the filling. The “sweet spot” between the tart key lime, and the creamy condensed milk is crucial for the pie's quality. Here at Teak we understand that balancing these two ingredients is an art and take this concoction seriously. Our guests love our Killer Key Lime Pie.

Rather, the key to perfecting the Publix key lime pie is a simple ingredient added to the graham cracker crust. It's not the graham crackers themselves that make the crust special, but rather the unique addition of crushed toasted almonds.

The sweet and tart pie reportedly originated in Key West, Florida, in the late 19th century. The use of sweetened condensed milk, an essential ingredient, is probably because fresh milk and refrigeration were uncommon in the isolated Florida Keys until the 1930s.

A widely reported story claims that William Curry's cook Aunt Sally invented it in the late 19th century.

Some pie recipes thicken the filling with flour; others use cornstarch, while others still rely on tapioca.

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed. We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies.

For a lemon filling that's glossy and translucent, and firm enough to cut yet melts in your mouth, cornstarch is the thickener of choice.