Pie has been around for over 1,000 years. It was first made by taking leftover venison and baking it in a crust wrapping. However, today we have dozens of varieties, each with its own unique storage needs.
You can eat certain pies that have been left out overnight. Fruit pies and molasses pies, such as shoofly pie, can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days. However, other types such as custard and cream pies should not be eaten if left out for several hours.
Can you freeze pies in the freezer? How long can you keep each type of pie in the refrigerator? We have all these answers and more below, so read on!
How Should Pie Be Stored?
The way you store your pies vary on the type, whether it is baked or not, and if it is safe at room temperature. Most pies should be stored in the refrigerator for maximum freshness and to prevent spoilage. Always cover your pies with plastic wrap or other covers to prevent contamination and drying.
There are several different types of pies, including:
- Custard
- Ice cream
- Fruit
- Meat
- Cream
- Meringue
- Sugar/Molasses
There are other types of pies, but these are the most common types of pies that you can bake or buy. Custard pies include uncooked, egg-based pie, which has a pre-cooked crust. They are usually made with eggs, sugar, and a little vanilla.
Custard pies must be refrigerated. Since they have a large amount of egg and dairy, they will spoil quickly. Cream pies include cream-based and pudding-based pies. They include chocolate and vanilla cream (or pudding) pies.
Similar to custard pies, these can spoil when left at room temperature and should be refrigerated. However, since these are baked, they have a somewhat longer shelf life at room temperature. Ideally, never leave them out for longer than 6 hours if your home is at or below 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius).
If the environment is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), refrigerate these pies after 2 hours. Meat pies, such as chicken pot pie and beef steak pies, must also be kept in the fridge.
Meat pies have a large amount of gravy, meat, and vegetables which will spoil at room temperature. After 2 hours at room temperature, ensure these pies are stored in the fridge.
Meringue, fruit pies, and molasses-based pies are a little more flexible. Meringue pies include Keylime and lemon meringue pies and are made with egg whites, sugar, and citrus fruit.
Fruit pies include peach, apple, and berry pies are have butter and flour-based crust. Molasses pies include shoofly pie and are predominately made with sugar.
These can usually be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days as long as they are covered and out of direct sunlight.
Ice cream pies are much more susceptible to room temperature since they will start melting after a few minutes. Keep these in the freezer until they are ready to be consumed.
What Happens If You Eat Pie That’s Gone Bad?
Eating spoiled pies can cause food poisoning. Symptoms of food poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, and other digestive pains.
Food poisoning can result in dehydration and death in severe cases if left untreated. However, remember that expiration, sell-by dates, and other manufacturer labels are not definitive.
Pies have different points of spoilage and can go bad as quickly as a few days or as much as a few weeks. This depends heavily upon how you store them and how they were prepared. Frozen pies can be stored for six months to a year without spoiling or becoming stale.
However, most pies can be kept in the fridge for a week or two without spoilage. Pies can spoil, though, which can lead to food poisoning. Since they are made with dairy, eggs, meat, vegetables, and fruits, they can develop bacteria and mold.
Spoiled milk, eggs, meat, and other perishable items can develop food poisoning quickly when left at room temperature. To prevent this, keep them in a cool space or the refrigerator, so they last a while and hinder mold development.
How Can You Tell If Pie Has Gone Bad?
The presence of mold is one of the best ways to tell if your pies have gone bad. Mold indicted age and the presence of spores which can also indicate bacteria. If your pies appear runny, discolored, smell bad, or taste stale, you may want to avoid eating them.
Most pies start to smell moldy, musty, or fermented when they start to turn. They may also start to dry out while the crust becomes soggy and unpleasant. These signs are not necessarily indicative of a serious issue with your pie.
If you eat pie that is somewhat spoiled, you might be fine. This is especially true for baked fruit pies, but eating spoiled meat or dairy-based pies can be more serious. Most of the time, if you consume a spoiled or spoiling pie, you will experience pain in the abdomen and some diarrhea.
Typically this is a sign of bacterial infections in your digestive tract, which will be cleared in a few days. For some people, however, food poisoning can be more serious.
Children, the elderly, and immunocompromised people might struggle to fight these infections, leading to severe dehydration. Seek immediate treatment if these symptoms persist for more than a week and you struggle to stay hydrated.
How Long Should Pie Last If Stored Properly?
Most pies can last between 4-10 days when stored properly in the fridge. Proper storage includes covering your pies and consistently storing them at or below 42 degrees Fahrenheit (5.6 degrees Celsius). If a pie is sliced, ensure the exposed section is properly covered to keep it fresh.
Technically, every pie stores for a different amount of time. This chart below will break it down for you in a simple manner.
| Type | Fridge Storage | Freezer Storage |
| Cream/Custard | 4 days | Do not freeze |
| Fruit pie | 10 days | 6 months-1 year |
| Meat pie | 10 days | 6 months-1 year |
| Meringue | 6-7 days | 3 months-6 months (up to a year when store bought freezer pie) |
| Ice cream | Do not store in the fridge | 6 months |
| Molasses | 10-12 days | 6 months-1 year |
Cream and custard pies do not store well in the freezer. They will become dry, cracked, and grainy. This will make it very unpleasant to eat, but it will not harm you.
Always keep pie covered unless you are eating or serving it. If you are bringing sweet pies outside for a picnic, always keep them covered while sitting out. Bugs such as flies can spread diseases, and they are attracted to sweet foods such as pie.
Keep your pies in a plastic container with a sealed lid for the best results. If you do not have one, or want to keep the pie in the baking tray, then cover it completely with plastic wrap or foil.
Plastic wrap is better than foil because it holds moisture better. If you are forced to store fruit pies on the counter, make sure they are fully covered and kept away from the stove or other heat sources. Ideally, keep them in a cool, dry place and consume them within 2 days.
Can You Freeze a Pie?
You can freeze fruit, meat, pudding, and molasses pies. Do not freeze custard pies or cream pies, since the taste and texture will be spoiled. Pies will keep for up to a year when properly stored and covered.
Technically, a pie will not spoil in the freezer for a few years. However, they will likely get freezer burn and absorb the other, unpleasant scents from the environment. Therefore, you should try to eat them within 1 year.
We recommend you slice the pie first and wrap them individually in plastic wrap. After, place the slices in either a freezer-safe container or bag.
When you are ready to eat them, do not thaw them on the counter. Preheat the oven and place the frozen pie directly in the oven. Thawing them beforehand can cause them to get soggy and unpleasant.
How Long Can a Pie Sit Out To Cool Down?
Pies usually take between 15-30 minutes to cool down at room temperature. You should either refrigerate your pies after this time frame or serve them to be eaten. For optimal safety and taste, only keep your pie at room temperature for 2 hours maximum.
Of course, the time frame a pie can and should sit at room temperature varies based on the type. Cheesecakes and custard pies should only sit out for 30 minutes before being transferred to the fridge.
However, fruit pies and molasses pies can sit out for up to 2 days without spoiling. However, for the best taste, only keep them out for up to 2 hours.
Meat pies should only stay out for up to 2 hours. However, within 15-30 minutes these pies should be cool enough to move to the fridge.
You will want to allow your pies some time to sit out. If you transfer them to the fridge right away, it will cause issues with your fridge and the pie itself.
Your fridge will have to work extra hard to remove the heat and moisture from the air. And, your pie will become wet and soggy as the heat and condensation build up inside of the container or plastic wrap covering you put on the pie.