Keeping a crust from getting soggy is a challenge even for experienced bakers. But with the right technique and some insider tricks, you can make almost any pie last as long as you want. How soggy or not your pie stays has a lot to do with how it’s made: If you’re making a fruit pie, you might add less moisture by using thick rather than thin slices of fruit, draining them thoroughly, and pitting them first. And it also has to do with how it’s stored: Even if you take care to store your pie correctly, humidity levels still have a hand in how soggy it gets. The best way to keep your pie from getting soggy is to be aware of your storage options and then choose accordingly. Here are some tips on how to keep a pie crust from getting soggy.
How to Keep a Pie Crust From Getting Soggy
1. Store it in a cool place
In the refrigerator, your pie will keep for several days. In the freezer, it can last several months. To keep a pie from getting soggy in the refrigerator, store it on its side to allow air to circulate around the crust. If you find that your crust is getting soggy, try freezing it for an hour or two before baking and see if that helps.
2. Store it in a sealed container with no air pockets in the lid or base of the container
Placing your pie on its side (as explained above) works best if you’re storing your pie in a sealed container with no air pockets in the lid or base of the container — this allows air to circulate around the crust instead of allowing any moisture to pool at its bottom. If you’re using plastic wrap as a cover, try covering it loosely and leaving room for air circulation so that moisture doesn’t pool at the bottom.
3. Don’t thaw your pie in the microwave or oven
When you’re ready to bake your pie, it should be completely cold (this may take several hours). Thawing your pie in a microwave or oven can cause it to get soggy too quickly — and even before you’re ready to serve it, the crust will start to get soggy before the filling has had a chance to set. If this happens, simply let it defrost at room temperature for a few hours before baking again.
4. Bake it until it’s just set but not browned
If you find that your crust is starting to get soggy as soon as you remove it from the refrigerator, bake your pie until it just sets but isn’t browned yet — this will allow some of the moisture from the filling to escape and won’t give you an unappetizing brown crust.
5. Bake it in the oven with a hot pan
If your pie is already starting to get soggy and you’re trying to prevent it from getting even worse, try baking it in the oven with a hot baking sheet underneath — this will cause the moisture from the filling to be released as steam and will help prevent your crust from getting soggy.
6. Use a foil tent
If you find that your pie is still getting soggy after all of these tips, try using a foil tent over it while you bake — this will help trap some of the moisture inside the pie and not allow any more to escape as steam. If the pie is still getting soggy, simply remove the foil tent before serving or storing your pie.
Keep Your Pie In The Fridge
- If you’re making a summer fruit pie like peaches, plums, or berries, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- If you’re making a winter fruit pie like apples, pears, or quinces, keep it in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
- If you’re making a pie with cherries or rhubarb — which are both very perishable — keep it in the refrigerator for three days before serving.
- Keep pies made with custard-based fillings (like apples) on the counter for up to two days before serving.
- Keep pies made with cream-based fillings (like mincemeat) on the counter for two days before serving.
Freeze Your Crust Before Baking
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the pie dough on it (see “How to Line and Bake a Pie Crust” for details). Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or up to 1 week.
- Remove the pie crust from the freezer, remove the plastic wrap, and prick it all over with a fork. Place in the preheated oven and bake at 450°F for 15 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned.
- Remove the pie crust from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before filling (see “How to Fill and Bake a Pie”)
Use A Jelly Roll Pan And Then Freeze The Crust
- Line the bottom of a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. This will make removing the crust easier.
- Make a deep well in the center of the crust and line it with parchment paper. This will keep the crust from leaking out as you fill it.
- Fill it with pie weights or dried beans (they’re sold at hardware stores). These act as weights so that when you bake the pie, they sink to the bottom and keep your pie crust from bubbling up during baking.
- Freeze for at least 2 hours before baking, if possible, or freeze for about an hour first and then bake for 10 minutes longer than usual.
- Remove from freezer and let thaw in refrigerator overnight, or just let sit out on a countertop until thawed enough to unmold easily (if you wait too long, your crust might be too soft to unmold easily).
- Remove dough weights and parchment paper carefully. Slide a knife or spatula under the edge of the crust, then lift up and carefully remove the pie.
Baking Parchment Is Your Friend
- Make sure the pie shell is dry before you fill it. If you don’t, it will be too soggy to hold up once it’s filled with fruit.
- When filling a pie shell, make sure to use a pastry brush to apply the filling evenly so that each slice of fruit has an equal amount of coating. You can also press the pastry brush into the filling and spread it evenly with your fingers.
- Don’t pack the pie crust too tightly when you put it in its pan; allow some space between each slice of fruit to allow for expansion during baking.
- For a fruit pie, it’s important to make sure the baking time is long enough for the fruit to cook through. If you don’t, the fruit will turn into a mushy mess in the oven.
Conclusion
Keeping a pie crust from getting soggy can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. The first step is knowing how to store your pie so that it stays fresh. Then, follow some of these tips to keep your pie from getting soggy. These tips will help you keep your pie from getting soggy, but there are other factors that can affect how long it lasts. However, with these tips, you can make almost any pie last as long as you want.
