Key Lime Pie on Longboat Key

Key Lime Pie
I will see you one Bread Pudding and raise you a Key Lime Pie. I feel like everywhere I go out to eat, at the end of the meal the server always asks, “Did you save room for our delicious Key Lime Pie?” Almost every place offers it and they all claim to be the best. Well guess what, they are not lying. They all really do have the best Key Lime Pie. No matter if you are in the Haye Loft at Euphemia Haye, at Ventura’s Restaurant in Whitney Plaza, The Lazy Lobster, or Harry’s Continental Kitchen, they all have great Key Lime Pie. Each a little different, but all are delicious in their own way. I highly recommend doing a taste test. When I spent a week driving through Southern Ireland, I ate a bowl of Irish Stew in every city and town I stopped at. I wanted to see which place had the best Irish Stew. I know this is a very subjective test and outcome. However, my tastebuds told me that I thought the small dark basement pub in Limerick Ireland had the best Irish Stew. I suggest you conduct your own taste test right here on Longboat Key. I would be interested in knowing your test results.
I felt ambitious one day and thought I would make my own Key Lime Pie. I went to the grocery store, but could not find any Key Lime Pie filling. Unfortunately, I did not feel ambitious enough to make it from scratch. That got me to wondering just how a Key Lime Pie is made. I assumed it was just made from regular ole limes. But I was not sure where the word “Key” came from in the name. I started to wonder why Key Lime Pie is so popular in this area of the world. Then one day I heard someone talking about key limes. I thought to myself, is a key lime different than a regular lime? Have I gone my whole life not knowing about this fruit? Am I the only person in the world that does not know what a key lime is? That is when I started my investigation.
According to allrecipes.com, “A key lime, also known as a Mexican lime or West Indies lime, is a type of hybrid citrus fruit commonly grown in the Florida Keys.” They also grow in other parts of Southern Florida and California. How did they end up in Florida you ask? Once again according to allreciepes.com, “The citrus fruit is actually native to Southeast Asia. From here it traveled through the Middle East to North Africa and eventually made its way to Europe, where Spanish explorers brought it with them to Florida.” They are still green when they are picked, but then turn a yellowish color after they ripen more. They are a small fruit measuring around one or two inches in diameter, much smaller than regular limes which are also referred to a Tahitian or Persian limes. They are tarter that regular limes because of their higher acidity level. Unlike regular limes which can be found in your store year-round, key limes generally have a peak season is June through September. Because they are so tart, they blend well with sweeter ingredients.
When eating a piece of Key Lime Pie, you may notice that some have more tartness than others. That is because when making a Key Lime Pie you can substitute regular limes for key limes. This is often done because regular limes are a lot of times more available, especially when it is not key lime season. The regular lime is a sweeter fruit and therefor makes the pie less tart. If you are lucky enough to get key limes for your pie, use them quickly. Similar to bananas, they have a short shelf life. Also, like bananas, do not put them in the refrigerator because the cold will speed up their aging process. Keep them at a nice cooler room temperature. Bon Appetit!