Key Lime Pie
What is Key Lime Pie?
Key lime pie is a dessert with a classic American origin. It is popular in the state of Florida. It typically consists of sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice, and egg yolks all in a pie shell. Key lime juice has a pale-yellow color compared to normal lime juice. It also has a distinct acidic flavor. The egg yolks give the filling a yellow color. Key lime pies are normally baked to thicken the filling and also pasteurize the eggs.
- It’s best to consume when they are chilled.
- Key lime pies are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and calories.
Key lime pie origin
Key lime pies are very popular in the state of Florida in the United States. As for the true origin, no one has a perfect idea about it. One theory state that a Florida based millionaire had a cook named Aunty Sally in the 1800s. Then Aunty Sally created this delicious pie. The authenticity of this story is not known. Another story says that some sponge fishermen in the Key West discovered the pie. How true this tale is, no one knows? However, it was in the 1930s that the first recipes of this were documented. When canned sweetened condensed milk got into the picture, local cooks began to include it. In 1965, a Florida State Representative petitioned a bill requesting that anyone advertising this dessert that is not produced with key limes gets a fine of $100. However, the bill was not approved. In 1994, Florida state gave key lime pies an important position among other meals.
Nutritional value
Key limes themselves are known to be good sources of potassium, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins. They cleanse the liver and help to boost metabolic activities. From a serving of 125g, you will be able to derive 43.4% of your daily calorie need if you are on a 2000-calorie diet. The nutritional value from 125g serving is shown below. you will get:
Application
Here are some nice tips to help you prepare a nice pie.
- It is best to make a mixture of key lime juice, condensed milk, and egg yolks a day before cooking. If you don’t have this time, place the mixture in the refrigerator for about four hours before using it.
- It is best to use fresh key limes instead of bottled key lime juice.
- When you have your mixture ready for cooking, whip it gently.
- A good tip is to bake the pie slowly. Do this in an oven at 200 degrees for about an hour.
- Make sure the mixture of melted butter and graham cracker crumbs is consistent all through.
This dessert is best-served chill. Newly baked pies, covered with plastic wrap, can last for 2-3 days in the fridge. However, it’s best to store this in the freezer. If done properly, expect the pie to maintain its quality for about one month. If your pie has any bad smell, discard it immediately. If you notice mold on the pie, throw it away.
Some people decide to use regular limes instead of key limes. While this is not completely a bad idea, you might not get the same tasty flavor that key limes give.
Key lime pie recipes
These are five top-rated key lime recipes
FDA regulations
The Food and Drug Administration has no specific binding regulation concerning this. However, the FDA documents Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls measure for baked products with or without filling and topping. This dessert fits very well into this category.
References
“Historical background of key lime pie,” https://www.southernliving.com/news/key-lime-pie-history
“Health benefits of key limes,” https://healthiersteps.com/key-lime/
“Description, preparation, and storage of key lime pie,” https://foodsguy.com/can-you-freeze-key-lime-pie/#:~:text=Key%20lime%20pie%20is%20best%20served%20chilled.,wrap%20or%20even%20aluminum%20foil.