We know the passion you put into your desserts, the selection of ingredients, then the arranging of your crust, then your baking, then your serving, and while this all sounds good, you may not have room in your refrigerator, and your only choice is to leave it on the counter.
This can spell disaster, as there could be a number of factors that can affect your lovely pie, even if you have wrapped it in tight film and have left it in a safe location.
We know the kitchen can be chaotic, so getting everything in order while preparing meals can be difficult, and keeping on top of your stored goods can make this easier, but how effective is this?
We’re going to make your dessert prep easier, as your pie may last some time on the counter, but there are ways you can keep it fresher for longer, which we’ll show you in detail. Read on to ensure your desserts are just as fresh as they can be.
If You Leave Your Pie in The Refrigerator
As the apple in your pie can spoil to a certain degree, as you can see this when you take a bite out of an apple and leave it a while, so the refrigerator is your best bet, and whether you leave it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, it can last up to 4 days.
This can give you a chance to use it for a future meal plan, but if you’re preparing it for a gathering, it might be best to remake it a day or two before, just so you don’t run the risk of it spoiling.
When you take it out of the fridge, you want to ensure that your leftovers look and taste good, as the cooked apple filling inside can last up to a few days, so before you serve it, you might want to heat it up for your flavor to have maximum effect.
If You Leave Your Pie On The Counter
Your fridge space might be tight, and you can’t fit your pie inside, so if you leave it on the counter, any fruit pie with sugar can be stored here for up to two days, as it’s a good chance that it could dry out easier under room temperature so keeping it well- wrapped is vital.
If you use eggs, cream, milk, sour and cheese cream, or ingredients that can spoil easier, you usually shouldn’t have them out of the fridge for more than two hours.
When we talk about fruit pies, it’s best that they are consumed within a couple of days, and this is even more apparent if you’ve used whipped cream or custard over the top, as you may not want to scrape this off, but putting it on the counter is going to affect the volume and the taste of your pie.
If You Leave It In The Freezer
This is going to be the most effective method, as you can leave your pie uncovered in the freezer and wait until it becomes frozen solid, then, you can cover it in plastic wrap and leave it in the freezer, and it will usually keep for about 3-4 months.
This can work as long as you keep it nicely wrapped and unexposed, and you can even place it in a freezer bag if you’ve got a lot of frozen food in your freezer, so it gives you that reassurance.
A fruit pie is usually going to last longer than a cream pie, so if you avoid covering your pie in any of this type of topping and only cover what you intend to eat, you shouldn’t have any issues with this.
If You Want To Keep Your Pie Fresh
Even though keeping your pie nicely wrapped in the fridge can be a convenient method, keeping it here can affect the crispiness of your apples as the cold air tends to break down parts of your pie, but it can be great if you like your fruit cold, so it depends on how you and others like the consistency and taste of the pie when serving it.
What you can do is break off individual pieces of pie and put these in freezer bags, so you have more options, so you can thaw these pieces out in the fridge for 24 hours and then bake it on a sheet pan until the filling is warm and bubbling, then you can serve it as you please.
Before serving it, though, check the inside of the pie to make sure you don’t have any pieces inside that look or smell off, and if you see any mold, you’ll want to throw away the pie completely.
This is relatively the same if you were to store a baked or unbaked pie, but with the unbaked, you might find it takes longer to cook and prepare it, but at the same time, you might find your ingredients stay fresher as they haven’t had to settle once heated.
If you’re making this ahead of time, make sure that if you do bake it that it’s cooked all the way through, as cold spots that are hardened are the last thing you want with your pie.
The Bottom Line
If you use any spices such as cinnamon or cumin, if you want to get the most out of your apple pie flavor, you can take it out of storage, heat it up, and then use these spices in a glaze that is going to bring all your flavors up a level.
You might not have time for this, but heating it with some custard and cream can work as well.
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.
