As we are speeding towards the holidays, last week’s Cooking Tip was about freezing food in general. In this Cooking Tip, I want to concentrate on an item that will be on almost all our holiday tables – Holiday Pies.
As I mentioned in the last Cooking Tip, you may not have freezer space for whole pies. If you do, the questions are: what sorts of pie freeze well, are there any that you shouldn’t freeze and should you bake before freezing?
America’s Test Kitchen tested several different pies in different states. Although the following are their findings, most pie experts agree with them. When there are other options, I will discuss them.
Fruit pies
- Freeze unbaked. They found that if baked before freezing, the pie crusts tended to be soggy when thawed. The filling did not taste as vibrant as it would have if baked and never frozen. On the other hand, pies that had been frozen unbaked were found to be indistinguishable from freshly baked pies.
- They recommend freezing the pie until solid before wrapping it in plastic wrap as it leads to less damage to the crust.
- Their technique:
- Assemble the pie.
- Do not apply an egg wash or sugar.
- Freeze, uncovered, until firm.
- Wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap and then in foil. Return to freezer.
- Write the recipe’s original instructions on a label and affix it to the outside.
- Freeze no longer than two months.
- To bake a frozen fruit pie:
- Do not thaw.
- Brush crust with egg wash and sugar sprinkles, if desired.
- Bake at the specified temperature, but increase the time by 10-15 minutes.
- If the crust starts to brown too much, cover it with a pie shield.
Pumpkin pie
- Although some chefs say you can successfully freeze pumpkin pies, most sources (including America’s Test Kitchen) caution against freezing these pies. The custard filling turns out grainy and wet and it very likely will have a soggy crust.
- They found the same results whether frozen baked or unbaked.
- The science of this has to do with the egg proteins unraveling and forming a gel that holds water. Since there is a lot of water in the dairy and pumpkin, this leads to ice crystals and unpleasant results. They recommend finding a recipe that does not use eggs if you want to freeze your pumpkin (or other custard or cream) pies.
Pecan pie
- America’s Test Kitchen found that pecan pies froze well, either baked or unbaked. Even though there are eggs, there is very little water, as in pumpkin pies, minimizing the problems one finds when freezing pumpkin pies.
- Their technique:
- Unbaked
- Pour filling into a pre-baked shell, cool and wrap as above.
- To bake, do not thaw, but increase baking time by about 30 minutes.
- Baked
- Cool and wrap as above.
- To serve, unwrap and thaw on the counter, which could take up to 3 hours. You may also allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Unbaked
- Freeze for up to 2 months.
Freezing pie filling
- Another option for fruit pies is to make and freeze your filling. Later, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and continue with making your pie.
- Michigan State University Extension recommends the following technique.
- Add ½ tablespoon of cornstarch or 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the filling.
- Line your pie pan with foil, pour in the filling and freeze in the pan.
- Once firm, remove from pan, wrap and return to the freezer.
- They also recommend adding the same amount of cornstarch or flour to fruit pies that you are going to freeze unbaked.
- An additional dusting of cornstarch on the pastry before adding the filling helps decrease sogginess.
Freezing pie crusts
A third option is to make and freeze the crust. There are three ways.
- Make and portion your pie pastry.
- Form into disks and wrap securely.
- When it is time to make a pie, allow the crust to thaw, roll out and continue with making your pie.
- Roll out your pie crust and freeze either baked or unbaked.
- Unbaked crusts will last in the freezer for about 2-3 months.
- Baked crusts last about 4-6 months.
- For unbaked crusts, do not thaw. Bake them directly out of the freezer.
- Thaw a baked crust by allowing it to stand at room temperature or heat in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes.
Baking frozen pies
- As mentioned above, do not thaw your frozen pies before baking.
- You will need extra baking time. Most sources recommend adding anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes. However, it may take more or less. Watch your pie and bake until the filling is bubbling.
With these make-ahead tips for your holiday pies, you can minimize the stress of getting that holiday dinner on the table.
Culinary Journeys, LLC 