Don't Believe The Key Lime Snobs, Bottled Juice Is Just Fine

In the wide world of fruit pies, key lime pie is in a category all its own: It's got a citrusy kick and best of all, a ghost hunter claims they discovered the original key lime pie recipe. That aside, it's not tough to make at home, because it only needs a few ingredients. While most would lean toward fresh squeezed juice over bottled juice, is it a big deal if you go for bottled lime juice?

To solve this debate, we spoke to Audrey Santos, sous chef and chef pâtissière at Maricel's Kitchen in East Brunswick, New Jersey. She told us that while fresh key lime juice will always deliver the best taste, there's nothing wrong with using bottled key lime juice. According to Santos, "In our kitchen, we always prefer fresh when we can get it, but we also believe in accessibility. Not everyone has access to key limes year-round, and bottled juice makes this classic dessert more approachable for home bakers. The most important thing is balancing the acidity with the sweetness and making sure the texture is smooth and silky."

Is there a difference in taste between fresh and bottled? "Fresh key lime juice tends to be slightly more aromatic and tart, with a delicate bitterness that gives the pie more depth," explains Santos. "Bottled juice, even the best kinds, is usually a little more one-note." However, she specifies that it matters less once it's blended into the custard and other ingredients.

Now, even if you decide to buy bottled juice, don't assume it's as easy as buying the first yellow-green-tinged bottle on the shelf. You shouldn't be baking pie with any old lime juice, because key limes are different from the regular variety. The most common lime on the market is the Persian lime (sometimes called the Tahiti lime), and it's actually a crossbreed between a key lime and a lemon.

These limes taste different, and that will affect your pie, according to Santos: "Key limes are smaller, more aromatic, and have a distinct sweet-tart flavor that makes the pie so special. Regular lime juice is sharper and more acidic, and while it will work in a pinch, the flavor will be different." You want a bottle that specifies key lime juice, because a bottle which only says it contains lime juice is likely to be a different variety with different flavors. Some people don't mind using regular limes for key lime pie, but you can taste the difference.

Beyond that big distinction, Santos recommends you look for 100% juice with no sugar, and ideally stored in a glass bottle, which does a better job of preserving flavor than plastic bottles. On that first note, plenty of key lime juices seem designed with key lime pie in mind, so it shouldn't be too challenging to find pure key lime juice.