Anyone can make a great pie with Comstock/Wilderness pie fillings and a few tips from the experts. To help you, we've put together a list of simple, tried-and-true secrets to help you make your homemade pies perfect every time.
Take Your Temperature
Oven temperatures (especially in older models) may not be what they seem. Instead of relying only on the outside dial, place a reliable, separate oven thermometer on the same rack where the pie is cooked to ensure the temperature is correct. This will help keep your crust flaky and your pie fillings juicy.
Shut the Door
Oven temperatures can fall dramatically when the door is opened - and can take a while to come back up. To make sure your pies cook properly, keep oven door openings to a minimum. (If your oven has a window, rely on that instead.) Of course, a good timer is a must, too.
Cover Your Crust
It's very easy for the exposed part of the crust to cook faster than the filled part. To prevent over-browning (or worse, burning) place a crust guard over the pie's rim before placing it in the oven. (You can make your own out of aluminum foil - or buy lightweight ones in cooking supply stores.)
Personalize Your Double-Crust Pie
Whether you're rolling out your own homemade crust, or using a ready-made one, reserve a bit of dough for decorating purposes. You can free-form animals, leaves, letters (your initials?), or use tiny garnishing cutters to get the shapes you want. Or, create your own distinctive edgings with your fingers or a fork.
Bake it Blind
Some recipes call for a blind crust - which means the crust is cooked before the filling is put in. A blind crust is commonly used for pie fillings that require little or no cooking (such as a cream pies.) To bake a blind crust: form the pastry to the pie pan, line the surface of the dough with aluminum foil and fill the foil with dried beans, or pie weights (available at cooking supply stores). Bake according to recipe directions (usually 15 minutes or so.) Keep the blind weights to use again and again.
Freeze a Few
Uncooked crusts can be shaped in their pans and frozen for future use. Just be sure to cover them tightly with several layers of freezer safe, airtight plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn.
Keep Your Cool
When a recipe calls for cooked pie filling, make sure the mixture has cooled adequately before pouring into the pie shell.
Pie Keeping
How do you store leftover pie? What if you're baking pies in advance? How long can you keep them? Is the refrigerator, freezer, or room temperature best?
Here's a quick guide to pie keeping - to ensure your pies stay delicious and food safe.
Fruit Pies
You can keep cooked fruit pies (like apple, blueberry and cherry) at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Cover with foil or plastic - or place in an airtight container. For longer storing, keep the pie refrigerated, or freeze it in an airtight wrapper for up to four months. (Be sure to label it with the date.)
To use a frozen, cooked fruit pie, thaw it uncovered at room temperature. If you like, you can reheat a thawed pie in the oven, by baking it uncovered at 325° F for approximately 15 minutes, or until it's warmed through.
Unbaked fruit pies can also be frozen, and baked later. Prepare the pie according to the recipe directions - however, before filling the piecrust, brush it with beaten egg white to prevent the crust from becoming soggy. Add filling, then cover entire pie with an upside-down aluminum pie plate. Wrap tightly in plastic or foil, label with the date, and freeze. Unbaked pies can be kept frozen for up to three months.
To cook a frozen, unbaked fruit pie, remove the wrapping and bake in a 425° F oven for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375° F and cook for another 45 minutes.
Custard, Cream, and Meringue Pies
After baking and cooling, these pies should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within two days. Do not freeze custard, cream or meringue pies.
Chiffon Pies
Chiffon pies can be stored covered in the refrigerator for a couple of days. They can also be frozen for up to two months. To thaw a chiffon pie, remove wrapping and thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours.
