Freezing Pies

[journey11]

cane thats what I said,it was pointed out frozen pizza are not cooked.

You can, but you cook them directly from frozen in a very hot oven (like 450 degrees) and I wouldn't top them too heavily or the center crust might not cook through. I think that's why the store bought ones are always skimpy on the toppings.

I like doing up a big batch of pizza dough and freezing some for later. That you do have to thaw first so you can pat it out.

 

[digitS']

This topic has generated some good reading.

NyBoy's pizza idea prompted a @canesisters experiment !

I will now know better than risk any expensive huckleberries but could try pre-cooked strawberries. By the way, trying fresh frozen rhubarb in a pie was disappointing ... I think it would have been much better to have baked the rhubarb pie and frozen that.

Steve
my other recipe thread is still producing melted provolone, mozzarella, brie, and free heat

 

[thistlebloom]

My experience with using frozen rhubarb was illuminating. They are full of liquid! I figured that was part of the problem in the first frozen berry pie, so I made another the next night and thawed and drained the rhubarb first. It was still a soggy crust. The chickens didn't know what in the world they had done to get TWO berry pies.

It for sure wasn't because they're drowning me in eggs.

 

[so lucky]

I think any time you freeze crust you are taking a chance, especially home made pie crust, because it doesn't have the preservatives in it that the rolled up "already piecrust" does. It just seems to be so bland and tough after freezing.
Like thistle bloom suggested, my mom used to freeze the fillings in the pie pan. I think she would put the filling in a baggie, then sort of press it into the pie pan to freeze, then pop it out of the pan for storage. If I remember correctly, her frozen pie crusts were pretty un-awesome.
I have learned to make pie crust with butter, and I just love it. I don't make "pretty" pies anymore, because the butter crust is so hard to work with, but boy are they good!

 

[thistlebloom]

I use butter in pie crusts too. These particular pies were made with those packaged rolled crusts.

Well there's my problem!

Do any of you guys bake the pies when the filling is frozen? I wondered if that had something to do with the sog.
It works for those store bought frozen pies......

 

[NwMtGardener]

I baked my frozen peach pie filling when it was still frozen. The directions have you bake it at a lower temp (325?) for like 40 minutes, then up the temp for the final 45 minutes or so. It takes a while. I use boughten crust, and it is kinda weird and soggy with the frozen filling. We still ate every bite!

 

[thistlebloom]

[QUOTE="NwMtGardener, post: 202300, member: 3081" We still ate every bite![/QUOTE]

Well, sure! That's because you don't have all those beady chicken eyes
boring holes through the kitchen walls!

 

[Smart Red]

Never having froze a pie for later use, you might think I'm not qualified to butt in here, but I have extensive experience with frozen pies to draw from.

Mom would often bake fruit pies for later use. I don't remember ever complaining about the taste or texture of the dessert -- and I am a crust person. I could easily skip the fruit and just eat the crust. In fact, all the left-over piecrust dough was rolled, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and cook as a very special treat.

After a time, Mom started making and freezing uncooked fruit pies. These seemed to last longer, but I never remember anyone complaining about the pie once it was cooked.

The reason for the switch from cooked to raw frozen pies? The absolutely best way to eat a piece of pie is as a frozen pie pop! Cutting a slice is a bit difficult at first, but an easily learned skill. Carefully slicing a section of cooked, frozen pie to sustain oneself on the long walk to the swimming pool on a hot summer day is one of childhoods greatest pleasures. Sneaking a friend home from school at lunch time for such a dessert was a great way to win friends and influence people.

Of course, I would never sell pie pop slices at poker parties as my big brother was want to do. That would be over the line for a goody-two shoes such as me.

 

[catjac1975]

If freezing pie I would do it uncooked. I think the pie crust would be better. Then on the other hand what would happen to the fruit? I am thinking in particular about apple. I cannot imagine an uncooked apple freezing very well. Blue berry, strawberry should be fine. I prepare all of my peaches and freeze, cooked, in peach juice. I use them for eating like you would canned peaches. However, you could then use that for pie with just some thickening added. So, not freezing a whole pie.

 

[journey11]

Here's a good article on how to freeze pies: unbaked, baked, or just the shell. I've always thawed mine in the fridge, but the article says it's better not to thaw at all (although I thought they came out fine). There are adjustments made in the temp and time to compensate for it having been frozen. http://www.raspberry-depot.com/how-to-freeze-pies.html