Freezing Pies?

[ckncj]

I'm getting married this fall and we are serving pies at the wedding instead of cake. We are going for a more homey, country, comfortable feel - and homemade pies hit the spot.

When baking pies, I usually prep and bake immediately. I want to prep as many pies as possible before the wedding, so that a couple days before all I will need to worry about is thawing and baking them. In some research I've done, it sounds like people have had luck prepping the pie and then freezing it UNBAKED.

Does anyone have any tips, suggestions, ideas?

 

[CWS4322]

I've frozen pies unbaked and I've frozen pies 1/2 baked. I wrap in 2 layers of freezer paper and have baked from frozen and thawed. Why don't you make four pies to test which method you like best (from frozen baked, from thawed baked, from 1/2 baked frozen baked, 1/2 baked thawed baked). My mother always did this (1/2 baked frozen baked) with apple, but froze the peach, rhubarb, or blueberry pies without baking them. I think she baked from frozen. I'd ask her, but she probably can't remember...there is truth in the saying "of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most" only, in this case, I miss my mother's mind...

 

[Alix]

I freeze my unbaked pies all the time. I find it is much easier to have some in the freezer for a last minute dinner party. They do well. I bake them from frozen. Wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil or paper. MAKE SURE YOU LABEL THEM.

 

[CWS4322]

What a great idea, btw. You could enlist some friends to help bake the pies...of course, they might not show up at the reception <g>.

 

[ckncj]

Thanks!!

So...prep the pie in its entirety and freeze instead of bake? Leave it in the dish & all? Should the thickening agent (cornstarch/flour) be changed at all for pies that are frozen? Wrap the whole pie in plastic wrap and then in foil?

I think a trial run is a great idea...prep a pie now, freeze it, and try to bake it in a couple weeks.

 

[Selkie]

...MAKE SURE YOU LABEL THEM.

Amen!!!! ...otherwise it can get REAL embarrassing!

 

[Alix]

Thanks!!

So...prep the pie in its entirety and freeze instead of bake? Leave it in the dish & all? Should the thickening agent (cornstarch/flour) be changed at all for pies that are frozen? Wrap the whole pie in plastic wrap and then in foil?

I think a trial run is a great idea...prep a pie now, freeze it, and try to bake it in a couple weeks.

I make mine in foil tins so I don't use up all my pie plates. I don't really add much extra thickener, but I don't measure anything anymore so I'm not a reliable source. Sorry about that. Yes to wrapping the whole thing in plastic and then in foil. Remember to remove the plastic wrap before baking too. I gave a pie to a friend and he popped it in the oven fully wrapped...big mess...BIG!

 

[ckncj]

LOL! Definitely remove the plastic!

For my trial run, I'll use pie tins, but for the wedding we have accumulated many fall-colored pie dishes, so that the display table isn't full of tin-foil pie pans!

 

[Alix]

LOL! Definitely remove the plastic!

For my trial run, I'll use pie tins, but for the wedding we have accumulated many fall-colored pie dishes, so that the display table isn't full of tin-foil pie pans!

Oh wait, just bake them in the pie tins and slide them ever so gently into the fancy ones. Works beautifully and nothing sticks to the bottom either!

 

[Rocklobster]

We bake unbaked pies from frozen at the restaurant all the time. We get them that way from the foodservice company. These are fruit pies.

 

[CWS4322]

I don't recall changing anything when I'd make pies with my mom this way. I don't make pies very often for us--DH makes pies and they don't go in the freezer <g>. You probably will have to adjust the baking time when you use the pie plates you've collected. I read somewhere that greasing the pie plate helps prevent sticking...I've never done that, but you could try it with your test pie.

 

[Josie1945]

I'm getting married this fall and we are serving pies at the wedding instead of cake. We are going for a more homey, country, comfortable feel - and homemade pies hit the spot.

When baking pies, I usually prep and bake immediately. I want to prep as many pies as possible before the wedding, so that a couple days before all I will need to worry about is thawing and baking them. In some research I've done, it sounds like people have had luck prepping the pie and then freezing it UNBAKED.

Does anyone have any tips, suggestions, ideas?

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Pies sound like a great Idea.
You might want to make a couple that are sugar free for the Diabetics to enjoy. Fruit pies work well using splenda.

Josie