When you make a pie for other people, you very rarely expect that pie to last longer than five minutes and, if it is your family, you pray to god that there will at least be one slice left for yourself as well.
However, if by some miracle, you have pie left over you are likely to put it in the fridge for a later date.
While we know how long fruit and meat pies normally last, it gets a bit more vague when we are talking about Pumpkin pies. These wonderful treats appear in fall and are beloved by many people. But when you put them away for another day, how long exactly do they last?
In this article, we seek to explore the expiry date of Pumpkin pies and when exactly you should eat them by.
What Is A Pumpkin Pie?
If you are from the US, you know what a Pumpkin pie is! They are the symbol of fall, appearing during the colder months and well into winter.
Generally, it is made by chopping up and puréeing a pie pumpkin (which are significantly smaller than a regular pumpkin) or buying a can of pre-pureed pumpkin.
The pulp is then mixed with eggs, sugar, evaporated or condensed milk, and a spice mix of generally cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Once thoroughly mixed into a custard or paste, the mixture is then put into a pie crust and placed in an oven to bake.
The entire affair is then served with a dollop of whipped cream on top to enhance the flavor.
Depending on where you are from, Pumpkin pie is a very traditional dessert for many people, with many in the Midwest having it regularly and even people in Canada enjoying it as a Thanksgiving dessert, where families still make pumpkin pie with a whipped or baked meringue topping.
The pie itself is typically open-faced, but there have been instances where the entire top is covered during the baking process – as with the aforementioned meringue pie.
How Long Does Pumpkin Pie Last?
For starters, we need to look at how you are storing your pie. If you are storing your pie on a counter top or in a room, it will last a few hours at room temperature before going bad.
Pumpkin pie contains dairy in some form, which means that that dairy will begin to spoil fast. On a cold day, this may take an afternoon, on a warm day it may take up to 2 hours.
If you are storing your pie in the fridge, then it will last a lot longer. Generally, a pie will stay good for up to 3 to 4 days, which is plenty of time to dive in and have some.
The best way to store it in a fridge is covered and whole, as the pie can dry out very quickly if not stored properly.
Lastly, if you were to store a pumpkin pie in the freezer, it would last about a month or two. However, due to the nature of the pie being quite delicate, it can be prone to cracking.
The best way to store a pumpkin pie in the freezer is to cut it up into different slices, wrap those slices in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and then put them in individual freezer bags before packing them away gently.
Make sure no other food items are on top of them before they are fully frozen – to prevent breakage – and make sure that you leave the freezer closed for at least 2 to 3 hours to allow them to freeze completely.
Once you have thawed a piece, make sure you consume the pie within 1 to 2 days (when kept in the fridge), as they will start to go bad quickly.
How To Tell Whether Pumpkin Pie Has Gone Bad?
There are certain warning signs that indicate that your pumpkin pie has gone bad, and at first they will be subtle. The best thing to do is stick to a set time limit on the pie. If the pie is past its date, then it might be best to throw it away or check it thoroughly for the other signs.
The most sure-fire way to tell if a pie has gone bad is to give it a sniff. If it has an unusual or rancid smell, then chuck it away, as it has definitely gone bad.
While it may appear fine from the outside, the smell tells us that mold or some other substance has invaded the pie and made it not worth eating.
The other way you will know is by the presence of mold. At first, this will present as slight discoloration on top of the pie custard or crust. Eventually though, you will clearly see the mold itself and once you see the mold, there is no saving the pie, so chuck it away.
If none of these are present, but the pie has an odd texture, it is probably starting the process of going bad. While you could technically still eat it at this point, we would advise that you throw this away as well to be on the safe side.
Can You Make Different Pumpkin Pies Flavors?
Yes, of course you can! The traditional spiced flavors of pumpkin pie are considered the best, but there are many other flavors that people add to the pumpkin custard as well.
Recently, vanilla has been a very popular one, along with Nutella chocolate, normal chocolate, and even bourbon or buttermilk instead of the usual condensed or evaporated milks that are normally added.
If you feel a flavor will work, then you should definitely try it out and see whether it is as good as you thought it might be.
Conclusion
Pumpkin pie is wonderful, but it doesn’t last long. Even in the freezer it will only last a month or two, up to 4 days in the fridge, and only a few hours on a countertop. As such, once you bake it, it is best to enjoy your pie as soon as possible.
Have you ever made something so delicious that you wished you could savor it forever?
Only to find that the recipe has now mysteriously vanished from your phone and the entirety of the internet. Yep, there’s not much more painful than that.
Hi, my name is Mark Williams and I have been infatuated with cooking since I was young. I would beg my mother to pull a chair up to the counter so I could watch what she was doing.
