Making meat pies for the freezer

I realise a 'pie' may mean different things to different people. In my case it's chicken mushroom and tarragon pie with shorcrust pastry base and a top fully enclosing the filling. If i'm eating the pie on the day then I usually blind bake the bases in individual metal trays, let it cool down and then add the cold filling and seal with a top of raw pastry. The re results are great with relatively wet filling and no soggy bottom and a golden crust.

However, as I made loads of filling I was hoping to make some more pastry and freeze the pies. What's the best way of doing this?

I guess the options I thought of were

Bake as above then freeze when cool and then warm them up in the oven
Blind bake the bases but leave the top raw - freeze and then cook them in the oven from frozen
Raw pastry for base and top - and bake them from frozen
some variation of above but allow them to defrost in the fridge first

If there any experienced bakers out there, i'd really appreciate some advice. thank you! Ww

pie

Best Answer

Short pastry is fragile in the freezer, and tends to crack from even minor impacts

For meat pies try a flaky pastry which is more resilient to shock when frozen. Blind baking will not be as necessary with flaky pastry too

Partial pastry cooking pies with their pre-cooked filling works well (say up to 50% to 75% done). This allows for proper reheating time from frozen without killing the pastry

Pictures about "Making meat pies for the freezer"

Making meat pies for the freezer - Baked Orange Pie

Making meat pies for the freezer - Pizza on Brown Wooden Board

Making meat pies for the freezer - Photo Of Person Holding Sliced Pizza

Quick Answer about "Making meat pies for the freezer"

Let pies cool completely. Lay out the cooked pies onto a wire rack to cool after cooking. ...

Wrap. Use cling film or baking paper to wrap each pie individually, then place into ziplock bags or freezer-safe containers. ...

Freeze for up to two months. ...

Defrost in fridge. ...

Finish in the oven or pie maker.

Do you cook meat pies before freezing them?

You can freeze Meat Pies either baked or unbaked. Either way, when you want to bake the Pies, you can bake them off frozen.

Can I make a meat pie and freeze it?

Yes, to freeze: wrap meat pie tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place in heavy-duty freezer bag. How long does meat pie last in the freezer? Properly stored, it will maintain best quality for about 1 to 2 months, but will remain safe beyond that time.

How do you prepare pies for freezing?

How to Freeze a Pie

Step 1: Assemble. Put together the pie as if you were going to bake it in the oven.

Step 2: Wrap. Place the unbaked pie in the freezer, uncovered, until slightly firm, which will only take about 2-3 hours. Remove the pie from the freezer. ...

Step 3: Freeze. Return the wrapped pie to the freezer.

Can you freeze a pie with uncooked pastry?

How long frozen pies last in the freezer: You can freeze unbaked pies up to two months. After that, you're flirting with freezer burn. Pies with a top crust may be a little more protected than pies with their fruity insides on display.

How To Refrigerate Or Freeze Your Meat Pie Crust

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Edward Eyer, Cats Coming, Brett Jordan, Horizon Content