subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Tue, Feb 09 2010 

Resources

print this story   Print this story
  Post to del.icio.us

Photos


Key Lime Pie
Associated Press


Published June 11, 2008 05:00 pm - Two inches of cloud-like meringue sit on top of a tart, key lime-infused custard and a buttery graham cracker crust.

Tart and creamy, key lime pies delight the Florida Keys


By CORALIE CARLSON
Associated Press

KEY WEST, Fla.

Two inches of cloud-like meringue sit on top of a tart, key lime-infused custard and a buttery graham cracker crust.

It looks like a slice of pie — but it tastes like sunshine.

Key lime pie is the official dessert of the Florida Keys, craved by tourists and locals alike. And nearly every restaurant — from the gourmet to the ones that also sell live bait — is more than willing to please.

“In the middle of summer, it’s just so refreshing, like drinking a glass of lemonade,” said Charlene Griffin, a waitress who served up a slice at the Hideout Restaurant just off U.S. 1 in Key Largo. “Everybody that visits the Keys wants key lime pie.”

Traditional key lime pie has a graham cracker crust and a custard that’s yellow, not green, made of key lime juice, eggs and sweetened condensed milk. It can be topped with whipped cream or meringue.

But variations abound. At the Islamorada Fish Company, which sells about 70 pies a week at its outdoor restaurant overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, the pie is made of a whipped filling that’s less tart.

“We’re more of a family style restaurant,” explained manager Adrian Miranda. He says kids prefer the milder sweet flavor to the tart bite of a traditional pie. But not everyone is happy.

“We get a lot of key lime pie purists who say, ’This isn’t key lime pie,”’ he said.

Such purists also might be offended by the slices served at the upscale Louie’s Backyard, which are made with a gingersnap crust and garnished with berries.

“We just take a twist,” said senior waiter Ben Harris, who noted the stylish $7.25-a-slice pie is the only item other than conch chowder that has stayed on the restaurant’s menu for 20 years.

Not bad, considering that key limes aren’t even grown commercially in the Florida Keys anymore.

Most of the key lime industry in Florida was destroyed by the double-whammy of 1992’s Hurricane Andrew and citrus canker, said Terence McElroy, spokesman for the Florida Department of Agriculture. Citrus canker is a bacterial disease that makes citrus fruit develop brown lesions and drop early.

A few groves remain in Homestead, south of Miami, but otherwise the pies are made with bottled juice from Mexico or South America.

The pies are believed to originate in Key West, with the first likely made sometime after the Civil War, when canned sweetened condensed milk became popular. No one knows for sure how the delectable desert got its start, said Monroe County historian Tom Hambright, but legends abound.

One popular theory is that key lime pie was first served to William Curry, the wrecker and Key West millionaire, in the late 1800s.



print this story    email this story   






autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premium Jobs

LOCAL COMPANY LOOKING TO HIRE CDL DRIVER.
Class B, HAZ-MAT, endorsement. Good pay and benefits. Fax resume to 678-9407.

...>MORE

SISTER SCHUBERT'S HOMEMADE ROLLS IS A NATIONALLY
recognized food manufacturing company. We are seeking candidates for the following positions at our production facility ...>MORE

GILLIE HYDE FORD IS LOOKING FOR FULL TIME POSITION
for the parts department. Prior parts experience is highly preferred but not necessary. Please see www.gilliehyde.com ...>MORE

TEMP TO PERM INDUSTRIAL OPENINGS
in Glasgow area. Drug screen required. Must be able to work all shifts. Good pay with health insurance available. Apply ...>MORE

COURIER JOURNAL HAS MOTOR ROUTE CARRIR POSITION AVAILABLE.
So. Barren/Allen Co. Scottsville area. 7 days per week, early morning hours approximate gross monthly profit $1,500. Rou...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Autos

LOOKING FOR A GREAT AUTO DEAL?.....
Looking to buy or sell?
Check here for the Premium Auto Section.
You can post an ad with unlimited text and
...>MORE

CRUISE BIKE, 2006 HONDA VTX,
1300cc, 14,442 miles, silver, garage kept, excellent condition. $8,000.00 OBO. 270-579-6956. Will send photo upon reques...>MORE

2001 FORD ESCORT, 160 ZX2, 2 DR., AUTO, AIR,
leather, moonroof, 120k, red & ready. $3,500 OBO. 670-7557....>MORE

2009 NISSAN ROGUE S, 16,000 MILES. STILL UNDER
Factory warranty. Must sell. 270-590-1440....>MORE

95 CHEVY LUMINA, 78K, NEW TIRES, 1 OWNER
$2,995. 01 Mercury Merquis LS, loaded, 77k, nice. $5,900. (270) 590-2789....>MORE

See all ads

Premium Homes

WANTED TO LEASE OR RENT, SMALL FARM
529-9482....>MORE

NICE OFFICE SPACE ONE BLOCK FROM SQUARE,
all utilities furnished, shared conference room. $495/mo. Call 576-6835.

...>MORE

185 CEDAR VIEW DR. GLASGOW. 4 MI. OUT 68/80.
4 BR, 2 BA doublewide. Perm. foundation w/outbuilding, approx. 3/4 acre, appliances included. Appraised for $79,500. ask...>MORE

95 ACRE FARM, HOUSE,
with out buildings included. 270-428-3015.

...>MORE

3 BR 1 BA MOBILE HOME IN THE COUNTRY.
$375 mo. $100 dep. references required, service animals only. Call 270-678-3039.

...>MORE

MOIBLE HOME LOT FOR SALE ON PAYMENTS READY
to set home on, all hook-up incld., in the country, $500 down $196 mo. 678-3039....>MORE

HIDDEN LAKE APARTMENTS.
First months rent $99. 1, 2, & 3 BR's available. We pay for water, trash & sewage. Call 312-375-9703.

...>MORE

3 BR, 2 BA MOBILE HOME, C/H/A
$425 mo. $400 deposit. Park City/Bon Ayr area. Call 270-749-2025.

...>MORE

348 JARED TYLER RD.
4 BR, 3 BA, 2650 sq. ft., open plan, approx. 10 yrs. old, finished basement. Call 270-404-3915.

...>MORE

2 BR, STOVE, REFRIG., W/D, FURN. $400 DEP., $425 MO.
Eastern School. Available March 1st. 270-678-6784....>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index