As filled pies are higher in moisture content and take longer to cool/heat/reheat than many baked goods, pies can be trickier to freeze than many foods. The best advice: Do a trial run with freezing a favorite pie BEFORE you freeze it for a special event. Here are an assortment of tips that may help you decide how to most successfully freeze your favorite pies.
Unbaked pie crust
Prepare your regular crust recipe. Place in a freezer-suitable pie plate. If the pastry will be baked unfilled, prick the bottom of the crust in several places. Stack the pie pans, separating them with two layers of freezer paper. Put in a freezer bag or overwrap with aluminum foil. To use, while still frozen, bake at 475 F until light brown (about eight to 10 minutes) or add filling to the frozen crust and bake as usual.
Suggested freezer storage time: 6-8 weeks.
Fruit, mince, nut pies, unbaked
Prepare as usual. The flavor of a pie is fresher when it’s frozen before baking. Some sources suggest using quick-cooking tapioca to thicken pie filling instead of your usual thickener. Cornstarch and flour are more likely to separate when the pie is thawed.
Fruit, mince, nut pies, baked
Make as usual. Cool as rapidly as possible on a wire cooling rack. (Note: Pies baked in metal rather than glass pie plates will cool faster.) Freeze and then wrap. It’s easier to wrap a pie after freezing.
To serve, thaw in the refrigerator and serve chilled or reheat in a 325 F oven until warm. As a test of when your pie has warmed, “Joy of Cooking” (Scribner) suggests heating until a knife inserted through a steam vent on top of your pie comes out warm. As recommended for unbaked pies, cover edges with foil if they start browning too rapidly during reheating.
Suggested freezer storage time: 3-4 months.
Adapting your recipe to use tapioca
Approximately 1 tablespoon of quick-cooking tapioca is equal to 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch or 1 tablespoon flour. Mix the fruit, tapioca, sugar and flavorings and let stand in a bowl for 15 minutes before placing in your pie shell. This helps the tapioca hydrate and absorb the fruit juice. If you find that juicier pies tend to boil over more when baked from the frozen state, add an extra tablespoon of tapioca next time.
Freezing an unbaked pie
When freezing unbaked pies with light-colored fruits such as apples, peaches, pears and apricots: Be aware these fruits may turn dark. The quickest way to prevent this is to treat them with a commercial anti-browning product for fruit. These are found in most supermarkets in the food preservation supplies section. Follow package directions.
Do not cut vents in the top crust before freezing. When ready to bake, cut vents in the upper crust. Place pan on a foil-covered cookie sheet and bake without thawing at 450 F for 15 to 20 minutes. Placing a cookie sheet under the pie helps it bake more evenly and protects your oven should any juices bubble over. Then bake for 20 - 30 minutes at 375 F until the top crust is brown. As pies, pie plates and ovens vary, adjust time and temperature as needed.
One method to help determine doneness is to check the tenderness of the fruit by cutting into the pie through a steam vent with a sharp knife. If the edges of your pie crust are browning too quickly, crimp strips of foil, shiny side up, around the rim of your crust. About a 2-inch wide strip should be sufficient for covering your crust edges.
Suggested freezer storage time: 3-4 months.
Pie tips to keep in mind
Meringue toppings toughen in the freezer. Custard and cream pies get watery after thawing and aren’t recommended for freezing.
Choose a pan suitable for the freezer, such as the disposable aluminum foil pie plates found in many supermarkets, or rust-proof metal pie pans. Freezer/ovenproof glass also might work but needs to be handled with more care.
If you’re using an aluminum foil pie plate, compare its capacity to that of your regular pie pan. An easy way to obtain a general idea of differing volumes is to fill your regular pie pan with water. Then pour the water into the foil pan. Measure the amount of liquid left in your regular pan; reduce the amount of filling by about that much.
A soggy crust can be a problem with frozen filled pies. Brush the inside of the bottom crust lightly with melted butter or margarine before adding the filling to help prevent a soggy crust.
Debbie Wilburn is county extension agent in family and consumer science with the Hall County Extension Service. Contact: 770-535-8290.