When is National Key Lime Pie Day?
September 26, every year. It is a popular food-day observance, not a federal holiday. The pie is worth making in any month you can get Key limes or a good bottled Key lime juice.
Do I have to use Key limes?
For the flavor people mean by “key lime pie,” yes — fresh Key limes or bottled Key lime juice. Persian (standard grocery) limes will make a lime pie with this method, but the aroma and sharpness will be different. See the lime guide.
Is bottled juice all right?
Yes, if it is actually Key lime juice. Nellie & Joe’s is the familiar Key West bottle. Generic “lime juice” from concentrate is not the same thing.
Should the pie be baked?
The recipe on this site is baked until just set, because the filling is made with egg yolks. Some traditional pies are unbaked and rely on the acid in the juice to thicken the eggs. Baking is the safer method and is also how some older published Key West recipes were written.
Graham crust or pastry?
Both are real. Older written recipes often use a pastry shell. The graham-cracker crust is the version most home bakers use now, and it is the one in our classic recipe.
Whipped cream or meringue?
Either, or neither. Mid-20th-century recipes already include all three. Whipped cream is the easiest; meringue uses the leftover egg whites.
How long does it keep?
Keep the pie refrigerated, covered, and eat it within three or four days. The crust softens as it sits. It does not freeze especially well; the filling can turn watery.
Is there a Key lime drink to go with it?
Yes. The Frozen Key Lime Pie Shake on Margaritaville Machine Recipes is a real recipe page on that site, built around Key lime juice and condensed milk.