Comments on: Key Lime Pie, From a Floridian

By: ksteinhoff

ksteinhoff — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:39:11 +0000

That statement is more true than you know. One night we ran out of rum and had to substitute vodka. Then we ran out of yellow key limes and had to start shaking the green ones out of the tree.

When those ran out, we raided the calamundin tree in the front yard. Trust me, those things are more than tart: they approached the burn-the-lips-right-off-your-face acid stage.

Any time you can learn something new, you should consider the experience successful. I learned never to touch vodka again and I never used calamundins in any form of beverage.

Those things were pretty, but I didn’t shed any tears when Wilma wiped out the tree in 2005.

By: Jan Norris

Jan Norris — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:28:35 +0000

I just recently bought my first Key lime tree and am hopeful. I’ve had all the other citrus but for some reason, never got a Key lime. The canker folks did lop down my others, and the hurricane took out the huge Duncan grapefruit, so I have been citrus-less for a while at this location. Had great green limes at the former ranch in Lantana – till it got a disease and bit the dust. I prefer them for daiquiris, frankly, though you get more juice from the Key limes.

Knowing photo — you could have used tomatoes in those daiquiris and it’s doubtful they’d have noticed!

By: ksteinhoff

ksteinhoff — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:20:56 +0000

When we bought our house in 1977, it had a lot of fruit trees in the yard, including a key lime tree. I would hate to think how many pitchers of daiquiris were consumed at photo department parties from the limes off that tree. I do know we burned out at least two blenders.

We were so fond of it that the strange shape of my workshop and storage shed was caused by our desire not to encroach on the key lime tree at its west side.

http://www.palmbeachbiketours.com/2009/02/18/building-a-new-home-for-my-surly-lht/

We played Johnny Key Lime Seed for years. Lopi and CJ were beneficiaries of seeds off that tree. We’re on our third generation of the original tree. One died about five years ago and the offspring of that tree took some heavy hits from the 2004-2005 hurricanes.

The state came by to say they were going to chop it down during the canker scare, but I stalled them long enough for them to run out of money and give up.

I have to confess that I’m not a great fan of key lime pies. I’d rather use the juice in other ways.

By: Jan Norris

Jan Norris — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:54:16 +0000

I had good one before at the Sea Watch (famous margaritas!) before; not sure they still do a great one.
Breakers is excellent.
Lots of spots in Keys that do them well…Cracked Conch is among my favs; Hobo’s Kitchen and Porky’s BBQ (their frozen version) are recommended.
I know there are others — readers??? Weigh in!

By: Lurch

Lurch — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:51:32 +0000

I miss the key lime tree I had at my previous home. It was too big to move to the new one.

I LOVE key lime pie. It’s one of the few desserts I crave, and I used to ask for it rather than cake on birthdays.

I just took visiting relatives to the Old Key Lime house in Lantana and enjoyed their authentic-tasting key lime pie. They claim it’s top rated, but didn’t say by whom.

Anyone else have favorite eateries for great key lime pie?