Can I freeze my pumpkin pie?

Some say NO because freezing the pie will ruin it and make it taste funny. The results of the pumpkin pie will be a watery filling after thawing and a soggy crust.

This is a function of the custard breaking down after being cooked and creating tiny pockets of water in the custard. When the pie is frozen, the pockets of water freeze and separate the custard even more and, at the same time, some of the water permeates the crust, making it soggy.

If a custard-based pie is going to be kept for more than three days, it must go into the freezer. The following is the best way that I’m aware of to preserve a custard-based pie in the freezer.

Freezing a Custard-Based Pie

1. Cool the pie after it is fully baked. When completely cool (or better: slightly chilled), wrap the pie with plastic wrap. Is you are impatient with this first step, steam will become trapped below the wrapper and the extra moisture will move into your crust and ruin the texture and taste.
2. Wrap the pie completely with plastic wrap. If it isn’t completely covered, put on another layer.
3. Wrap the whole package again with aluminum foil to prevent nasty odours in the freezer from entering your pie.
4. Place pie flat in freezer

Caution!
- Never put a pie in a freezer where fish has been, unless you want fishy pumpkin pie.

Thawing a Custard-Based Pie

Believe it or not, there is a right way to thaw out your pie.

1. Remove and dispose of the foil and plastic wrap from the pie. Never reuse them!
2. Put the pie on a flat surface in the refrigerator to thaw for 4 to 8 hours. If you don’t thaw it in this manner, the pie will turn out nasty.
   

Think about thawing like this: a glass of ice water will sweat when the surrounding air is warmer than the glass. Water condenses on the cold glass. If the same glass was placed in the refrigerator, it wouldn’t sweat. A frozen pie is no different than a glass of ice water. Water will condensed on your frozen pie when sitting out at room temperature. The reason you don’t see the water is that the pie crust is absorbing it. This would result in a wet and soggy crust.

Heating a Custard-Based Pie

1. You can use a microwave oven to reheat a pie. However, microwave ovens don’t heat things evenly. To help eliminate this problem, don’t reheat it all at once. “Nuke” it for 15 seconds and then let it rest for 2 minutes. Repeat this until the temperature of the pie is where you want.

NEVER refreeze a pie if it was previously frozen.

Store the remaining pie in the refrigerator for up to three days and do not refreeze any of it.

Shelf Life of Pie

Of course, all foods last for a shorter period of time if they are not stored properly. But remember, like a lot of other sweets, they usually have a sell by date or a best by date and not a use by date or an expiration date. Because of this distinction, you may safely use foods even after the printed date has lapsed for varying times. Foods don’t freeze forever and should not be re-frozen once thawed.

How to tell if pie is bad, rotten or spoiled?

Practicing proper hygiene and food safety discipline will help prevent food borne illness. Although not a perfect test, your senses are usually very reliable instruments to tell if your Pie has gone bad. The first thing to go bad with the pie is usually the crust because the filling will begin to loose water and the crust will absorb that water and become soggy. There are, of course, certain health risks associated with spoiled pie so always remember to practice food safety and enjoy your pie prior to the eat by date.

How to store pie to extend its shelf life?

Proper food storage is the key to extending the expiration date of food. You can help keep pie fresh by keeping it in the refrigerator as much as possible. Once prepared, pie should be stored in a tightly closed container or wrapped with plastic wrap to keep out air and other contaminants. For a long-term option, you can freeze your pie while preserving its taste if you use an air-tight freezer safe container. Some benefits of proper food storage include eating healthier, cutting food costs and helping the environment by avoiding waste.

How long is pie good for when prepared?

How long does pie last? That depends. How long do eggs last? In general, pie lasts only as long as the quickest expiring ingredient in the dish. To find out how long those other ingredients are good for, please visit the Dairy, Drinks, Fruits, Grains, Grains, Vegetables and Other sections of Eat By Date or search below!

What are my shelf life resources?

Our how long does pie last content incorporates research from multiple resources, including the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Food & Drug Administration. In addition, I scoured the web for informative articles and reports related to food safety, food storage, and the shelf life of pie.

*An important note about expiration dates …

Although the pie shelf life information on Eat By Date is generally reliable, please remember that individual cases will vary and that this advice should only be taken as an opinion or guidance tool. So, how long will food last? Let’s find out!