why are they called "key" limes?course vs coarse

by Lyla Beer DVM 5 min read

The Key lime is smaller, seedier, has higher acidity, stronger aroma, and thinner rind than the Persian lime (Citrus × latifolia). It is valued for its characteristic flavor. The name comes from its association with the Florida Keys, where it is best known as the flavoring ingredient in Key lime pie.

Full Answer

Why are they called Key limes?

It flourished in South Florida, particularly the Florida Keys, hence the current common name of Key lime. Due to hurricane-depleted soils, locals switched from pineapple commercial crops to limes in 1906, and business boomed until a hurricane once again reared and wiped out the lime groves.

What is the difference between Key limes and lime juice?

Each lime contains two to three tablespoons of juice (compared to Key lime’s two to three teaspoons). Their thick skin helps them keep longer than Key limes, and they’re good for about a month in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

What is the difference between ‘course’ and ‘coarse’?

In the first example, the word ‘course’ is used with respect to a programme, while ‘coarse’ means rude or abusive here. In our next example, ‘course’ is used to mean the sports arena, while ‘coarse’ means rough and uneven.

What's the difference between Key limes and Persian limes?

Other sources, like the Los Angeles Times say Key limes are actually more sour and acidic than Persian limes, making them the preferred type of lime for creating cocktails. Either way, you'll need twice as many Key limes as Persian limes to get the same amount of juice.

Are Key limes tarter than regular limes?

① Key limes, also known as Mexican or West Indian limes, are more aromatic, with tarter and more floral juice. ② They are slightly yellow in color and contain more seeds.

Are Key limes the same as lines?

Appearance. One of the most noticeable differences between regular limes key limes is the size and color of the limes. More often than not, a key lime is smaller and more yellow than a regular lime. When sliced in half, you'll also notice that the key lime has a thinner skin and contains more seeds.

Why do they call them Key limes?

The Key lime is smaller, seedier, has higher acidity, stronger aroma, and thinner rind than the Persian lime (Citrus × latifolia). It is valued for its characteristic flavor. The name comes from its association with the Florida Keys, where it is best known as the flavoring ingredient in Key lime pie.

What is difference between Key limes and regular limes?

Key limes—also known as Mexican limes or West Indies limes—are small, spherical limes that grow in tropical and subtropical regions. They're light yellow (not green) when ripe and contain more seeds than regular limes. Their skin is also very thin, which means they don't store well.

What is the difference between a Key lime and a Persian lime?

Key limes are smaller and contain more seeds than Persian limes. And while Persian limes have thick, bright green skin, a Key lime's skin is thin and tends to be a little on the yellow side. The juice from Key limes is also more yellow.

Are Key limes sweeter than normal limes?

Green Key limes are immature fruits offering juice with higher acidity. As they ripen to a yellow hue, the juice loses its acidity and takes on a sweeter flavor. It's the tart, yet sweet taste of a uniquely aromatic yellow Key lime that gives the Key lime pie it's distinctive flavor. There are other types of limes.

Are Key limes still grown in the Keys?

Today true Florida key limes are available on a very small scale in home gardens in the Florida Keys and through farms in Dade County, Florida, but these limes make up less than ten percent of key lime sales in the United States.

Are Key limes from Florida?

Today, there is little to no commercial Key lime production in Florida, although it remains a popular home landscape fruit tree. Distribution: Key limes are grown in warm subtropical and tropical regions of the world.

Why is Key West famous for Key lime?

They say key lime pie originated in Key West some time toward the end of the 1800s. As the story goes, one William Curry, a prominent Key West resident and Bahamian-born immigrant who became Florida's first millionaire, had a cook called “Aunt Sally” who concocted the first pie from key limes.

Where did Key limes originate?

The key lime tree, which is native to Malaysia, probably first arrived in the Florida Keys in the 1500s with the Spanish. Key limes look like confused lemons, as they are smaller than a golf ball with yellow-green skin that is sometimes splotched with brown. They are also know as Mexican or West Indian limes.

What does Key limes do for the body?

Key Limes are rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants, both of which can offer health benefits. Eating lemons or drinking juice can improve immunity, reduce risk factors for heart disease, prevent kidney stones, help iron absorption, and promote skin health.

Are Key limes hybrid?

Key lime is probably a tri-hybrid intergeneric cross (a three-way hybrid involving three plant species and at least two different genera) of citron (Citrus medica), pummelo (Citrus grandis), and a microcitrus species, Citrus micrantha.

What is the difference between a key lime and a Persian lime?

The Key lime is smaller, seedier, has higher acidity, stronger aroma, and thinner rind than the Persian lime ( Citrus × latifolia ). It is valued for its characteristic flavor. The name comes from its association with the Florida Keys, where it is best known as the flavoring ingredient in Key lime pie.

Who introduced the Key Lime?

Henry Perrine is credited with introducing the Key lime to Florida. From the Caribbean, lime cultivation spread to tropical and subtropical North America, including Mexico, Florida, and later California .

How to grow key limes from seed?

There are various approaches to the cultivation of Key limes. This variety of citrus can be propagated from seed and will grow true to the parent. The seeds must be kept moist until they can be planted, as they will not germinate if allowed to dry out. If the plants are propagated from seed, the seeds should be stored at least 5–6 months before planting. Alternatively, vegetative propagation from cuttings or by air layering may permit fruit production within one year, and from genetically more predictable lines of plants. Another method, digging around a mature tree to sever roots, will encourage new sprouts that can be transplanted to another location. Clones are often bud grafted into rough lemon or sour orange to obtain strong root stocks (see also fruit tree propagation ).

Why do you plant key limes in trenches?

Because its root system is shallow, the Key lime is planted in trenches or into prepared and broken rocky soil to give the roots a better anchorage and improve the trees' wind resistance. Pruning and topping should be planned to maximise the circulation of air and provide plenty of sunlight.

Where are key limes grown?

Since the North American Free Trade Agreement came into effect, most Key limes on the United States market have been grown in Mexico, Central America and South America. They are also grown in Texas, Florida, and California . The Key lime has given rise to several other lime varieties.

Where did lime originate?

Key is from Florida Keys , where the fruit was naturalised. The earliest known use of the name is from 1905, where the fruit was described as "the finest on the market. It is aromatic, juicy, and highly superior to the lemon."

Is a key lime a cross?

The Key lime has given rise to several other lime varieties. The best known, the triploid progeny of a Key lime-lemon cross, is the Persian lime ( Citrus × latifolia ), the most widely produced lime, globally. Others are, like their parent, classed within C. aurantiifolia.

Why are key limes sweeter than Persian limes?

While key limes are juicier than their Persian counterparts, the size difference means that a Persian lime has more juice than key lime.

What does key lime taste like?

What Does It Taste Like? The juice of a key lime is tarter and somewhat more bitter than a Persian lime, though some people find the taste very bitter and almost caustic. For this reason, key lime juice is often used in very sweet desserts. The bitterness of the key lime balances well with the sweetness of sugar.

What is lime juice used for?

The juice is used for syrups and, of course, key lime pie. Most commercially available key lime pies these days are made from ...

How long can you keep limes in the fridge?

Do not store them in the refrigerator—this will speed their decay. Ripe key limes should be used within a day or two.

How much juice is in a Persian lime?

A good rule of thumb is that a Persian lime contains 2 to 3 tablespoons of juice while a key lime contains about 2 to 3 teaspoons of juice. 15 Tangy Lime Recipes to Make Your Mouth Pucker. Article Sources.

What is the flavor of key lime?

Smaller and with more seeds than the more common Persian lime, its distinctive flavor makes it heavily sought after, especially for delicious desserts. Key lime is most often used for its juice, which is sweet and tart and a signature ingredient in key lime-based desserts, marinades, and cocktails.

When are key limes in season?

They only grow in certain regions of the United States and are in season for only a short time, from June through September in Florida and some parts of California. And they don't stay fresh long.

What is the difference between coarse and course?

The difference between coarse and course are discussed in the points in detail: Coarse is used to denote something which is not fine , even , delicate or is very low in quality. On the other hand, course means route or path which a ship or aircraft follows. It denotes the way in which something evolves gradually.

What is coarse course?

The word coarse means something that is harsh or rough in nature. But on the other hand, the word course has to do something with progress, it denotes a path that leads to upward movement or the way ...

What does coarse mean in ETF?

Coarse is used to denote something rough, impure, cheap or ill-quality material, but the course has several meanings, but they all revolve around route or an upward movement, to proceed from one point to another. Related Differences. Difference Between Mutual Fund and ETF.

Why does Joe's teacher say "coarse"?

Joe’s teacher advised him to join a personality development course, as he often uses coarse language in the class. As the sand of the course is coarse, one of the runners fell. In the first example, the word ‘course’ is used with respect to a programme, while ‘coarse’ means rude or abusive here.

What does "course" mean?

Definition of Course. Basically, the word course means route or direction which is used by ships or plane during their journey. It indicates advancement or progress towards something. It also refers to the procedure used for dealing or handling a situation.

When to use coarse?

The word ‘coarse’ is an adjective, which is used when something is dull harsh or lacks smoothness, or when it is raw. Let’s understand its usage with the points given below:

Is "course" an adjective?

It denotes the way in which something evolves gradually. As the word coarse describes the quality of a noun, it is an adjective, which implies scratchy, unrefined, indecent, etc. On the other hand, the course is mainly used as a noun, to mean path, direction, or a set of educational classes. It can also be used as a verb to mean to move/flow ...

Where are key limes from?

Since then, Key limes have mostly been sourced from Mexico and Peru, where they are still incredibly popular for dishes like ceviche.

What is the most famous lime?

Diane Macdonald/Getty Images. There are a few types of limes that we love to use in recipes but the Key lime may just be the most famous. Named for their association with the Florida Keys, an island chain in the southernmost portion of the state, the fruit traces its history to the 1500s when the Spanish brought the tree from its native Malaysia.

What is the key lime pie?

The Key lime pie is the quintessential dessert of the Florida Keys. It's made of Key lime juice, egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk in a graham cracker crust and sometimes served with whipped cream or meringue on top. This pie was created out of necessity, since fresh milk and ice weren't available in the Keys until the Overseas Highway opened in 1930. The original recipe was rumored to have been created by fishermen who were unable to bake a traditional pie on the open sea. Try making your own at home with this easy recipe.

What is the name of the limes that grow in Miami?

By the early 1900s, the village now known as Miami was steadily growing Key limes in nearby groves. Also known as West Indian or Mexican limes, these limes are smaller and rounder than the regular Persian limes, around the size of a golf ball, and turn shades of yellow when ripe. They also have small seeds and are known for their high levels ...

Can you substitute Persian limes for Key Lime?

For most recipes, you can substitute Persian limes for Key limes, with little taste difference. But Cook's Illustrated warns you to stay away from the bottled Key lime juice; it tastes nothing like the real thing.

Do key limes have a higher pH than other limes?

They also have small seeds and are known for their high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants (like all limes). Key limes have a higher pH than conventional limes, which gives them a lower acidity and a slightly less tart taste, according to Cook's Illustrated. Advertisement. Other sources, like the Los Angeles Times say Key limes are actually more ...

Is Key Lime juice made in the US?

In the Keys, this prized juice is incorporated into everything from hollandaise for eggs Benedict to margaritas to the iconic Key lime pie. Despite the name, Key limes aren't actually produced in the Florida Keys or even in the United States anymore. A hurricane in 1926 wiped out many citrus groves in Florida, taking the Key limes with it.

What is a key lime?

Key limes—also known as Mexican limes or West Indies limes—are small, spherical limes that grow in tropical and subtropical regions. They’re light yellow (not green) when ripe and contain more seeds than regular limes. Their skin is also very thin, which means they don’t store well.

What is coconut key lime thumbprint?

Coconut Key Lime Thumbprints. This is the cookie recipe I created for the Las Vegas World Food Championships in 2013. It's similar to a shortbread thumbprint cookie, but with lots more personality. —Amy Freeze, Avon Park, Florida.

How much juice does a lime have?

Each lime contains two to three tablespoons of juice (compared to Key lime’s two to three teaspoons). Their thick skin helps them keep longer than Key limes, and they’re good for about a month in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

Where are Persian limes grown?

They’re a great substitute for vinegar in marinades or homemade salad dressings, and their juice and zest boost other flavors in savory recipes like lime-chipotle carnitas. Mexico and Brazil grow most of the world’s Persian limes, but they’re also grown in the U.S. in Florida.

Can you use key limes in place of regular limes?

Key lime juice is prized for being tart and super-aromatic. You can use them in place of regular limes in any recipe, but they’re an ideal choice for sweetened-up desserts like Key lime pie, cupcakes or thumbprint cookies.