Does Pecan Pie Need To Be Refrigerated? – FriedOkra (2024)

So, do you love pecan pie and make your own homemade pie or buy it regularly from the store? The question which many pecan pie lovers in the country are asking is does pecan pie need to be refrigerated?

If you make delicious and fresh pecan pie at home, then you will want to be able to enjoy it for longer, right?

Well, for the best results and in order to preserve the quality of the pie, you should store it in the fridge just like with all other egg-based desserts and pastries.

Whether you are making pecan pie for Thanksgiving, another special occasion, or just because, chances are you will be using an egg base for the delicious dessert.

The eggs can go bad quickly and can develop and grow potentially harmful and dangerous bacteria pretty quickly when left at room or high temperatures between 40-140 degrees Fahrenheit.

This is why you should put the ready pecan pie in the refrigerator even if it is still warm unless you are planning on serving it and eating it immediately after taking the pie out of the oven.

The bacteria that can grow on the eggs and pie can lead to nasty foodborne illnesses, and can even cause food poisoning, so you should always keep the pecan pie at temperatures lower than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you are serving it later, then you can go ahead and reheat the pecan pie right before serving it. But keep in mind that you shouldn’t reheat it more than once.

Pecan pie is relatively hardy when compared to similar pies and can actually last for up to four days when stored properly in the refrigerator.

If you want to store the pie for longer than 4 days, you should freeze it.

To freeze pecan pie properly, you should place it in a sealed container or dedicated sealing pie plate, label it, and place it in the freezer.

Pecan pie should be stored in a refrigerator immediately after being baked, or in case you are not planning on serving it in the next two hours.

For the best result, leave the pecan pie on a heat-safe surface and let it cool down to room temperature, but no longer than 2 hours.

Leave the pie in the dish and cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, but do it loosely in order to preserve the shape of your beautiful pie. You can also cover it with a dish placed upside down on top of the pie dish.

Please place it in the fridge at a temperature lower than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

When it is stored like this, homemade pecan pie can last and be safely consumed for up to 4 days.

When you plan on serving and eating the pie, you can go ahead and reheat it in an oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, or if you prefer you can eat it right out of the fridge.

If you want to store your pecan pie for longer than just 4 days, then you will need to freeze it.

Make sure that the pecan pie is completely baked before you proceed to freeze it.

After the pie is nicely baked and ready, let it cool down on a cooling rack until it reaches room temperature.

Do not place a pie that is still hot in the freezer because it can become soggy and suffer freezer burn, which will ruin its texture.

To prepare your pecan pie for freezing, use a sealed pie container, or double wrap it in plastic wrap or foil, or in a freezer-safe ziplock storage bag, being careful not to leave gaps that will allow air inside.

When the pecan pie is properly wrapped and frozen, it can last for up to two months. The pie will still be safe to eat even after these two months, but chances are that its texture and quality will deteriorate due to freezer-burn crystals.

In order to reheat a frozen pecan pie, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and then reheat it in apreheated ovenat 275 degrees F for about 20 minutes.

Here are some other useful tips for storing pecan pie:

• If the pecan pie is not properly wrapped or covered when stored in the fridge, there is a risk of the crust becoming soggy and unpleasant when it is reheated, so make sure you leave no gaps when covering the pie
• If you have a separate chest-deep freezer, then store your pecan pie there rather than in the freezer of your fridge because the temperatures in the freezer can fluctuate every time you open it to take something out or put something in it
• If you are going to be eating separate pieces of the pie on different occasions, then take the time to freeze it in slices and wrap them separately so that you don’t need to thaw the entire pie every time
• Pecan pie can be refrigerated and frozen only when it has been completely cooked. In other words, you cannot freeze or refrigerate the pie, which you are planning on baking later. The reason is that the eggs in the pie will curdle, and the pie will end up with an unpleasant texture

You should never leave freshly baked pecan pie at room temperature for more than 2 hours. So, either serve it and eat it right away or within the next 2 hours, or let it cool down to room temperature, wrap it, and refrigerate or freeze it.

Leaving a homemade pecan pie which contains eggs for over 2 hours can be risky for your health.

As for store-bought pecan pie, the chances are that it has some added preservatives, which can help increase its shelf life and allow it to last for a little bit longer outside of the fridge.

Which are the other pies which need to be kept in a refrigerator?

All pies and desserts which contain eggs and dairy should be kept in the refrigerator unless they are consumed right after they are baked or within the next couple of hours.

This is due to safety reasons and not just to retain the quality and taste of the pies, so make sure that you are strict about the storage of pecan pies and other egg-based desserts.

How to tell if the pecan pie is unsafe to eat?

You can tell that a pecan pie has gone bad by its appearance and smell. If there is a strange smell, look, or signs of mold on the pie, you should throw it out immediately. As mentioned previously, the growth of bacteria from the eggs can be harmful and even dangerous, so be especially careful when storing and serving old pecan pies.

Do you serve pecan pie warm, or can you eat it out of the fridge?

While most people prefer to eat the pecan pie nice and warm, the fact is that the pie sets completely only when it cools down.

So, if you prefer to enjoy the pecan pie when it has set perfectly, then you should wait for it to cool down or you can eat it straight out of the fridge.

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