Perfecting Pie Preservation: Do You Pre-Cook Before Freezing?
Have you ever encountered such a problem? When making pies, you made too many and worry about waste and want to freeze and preserve them, but you don't know "Should you cook it before freezing?" Let's discuss this problem together today!
I will cook the pie before freezing it.
From the perspective of the taste of the pie, if the pie is cooked before freezing, when you need to eat it, you only need to take it out and then heat it in the oven or microwave oven.
Freezing the cooked pie in advance can well maintain the rich taste just made. Take the egg pie I made as an example. Just baked, it has a strong egg fragrance. Freeze and preserve it. When you take it out and heat it when you want to eat it, it still has the same sweet taste and strong egg fragrance, and the taste basically has not changed.
Finally, it is very convenient to cook the pie in advance and then freeze it. When you want to eat it, you can directly take it out of the freezer and thaw it slightly or heat it in the oven, microwave oven or frying pan.
Should you freeze pies cooked or uncooked?
First of all, it can be determined that it is fine to freeze cooked or uncooked pies. Both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, and you can choose according to your own needs. The details are as follows:
Frozen cooked pies
Advantages:
Convenient for reheating, can quickly restore the taste and flavor similar to just out of the oven, suitable for busy daily life.
When cooking, the filling and dough blend well, with rich flavor, and can be better maintained after freezing and reheating.
Treated with high temperature before freezing, which can reduce the growth of bacteria and prolong the storage period.
Disadvantages:
The taste may be damaged. Due to the freezing and thawing of moisture, it may slightly decline.
Poor cooking flexibility. After being cooked and frozen, it is difficult to adjust according to taste needs.
Frozen uncooked pies
Advantages:
Flexible in cooking. When thawing and cooking, it can be adjusted as needed, such as adding seasonings and changing methods.
The flavor is more natural, and you can experience the original taste of ingredients during cooking.
Long storage period. If the freezing temperature and time are well controlled, it can also be stored for a long time.
Disadvantages:
Time-consuming for reheating, increasing the complexity and time cost of cooking.
The taste is easy to be unstable. Freezing and thawing are easily affected by many factors, such as the freezing of moisture and the change of dough structure.
Is it better to freeze a chicken pie, cooked or uncooked?
A frozen chicken pie is better cooked.
First of all, in terms of safety, chicken is a kind of meat. In an uncooked state, if it is not well preserved, bacteria and microorganisms are easily bred. After eating, there may be a risk of bacterial infection.
If it is cooked and then frozen, because the chicken has been treated with high temperature, the possibility of breeding bacteria and microorganisms during the preservation process is relatively low. Relatively speaking, it is safer.
Secondly, in terms of taste, if the cooked chicken pie is frozen and then reheated, as long as it is heated evenly, it can basically restore the taste close to just made. I have tried many times before. Whether it is baked slightly in the oven or fried in a frying pan, the crust can become crispy and the chicken filling is still very fragrant.
For an uncooked chicken pie, there may be blood oozing and the like when it is thawed after freezing, and it is not so easy to cook later.
Do you freeze meat pies before or after baking?
I would tend to freeze the meat patty after baking it.
If the meat patty is frozen before baking, its structure may change during the freezing and thawing process. Just like the beef patty I made, which contains ingredients such as ground beef and onions. During freezing and thawing, the ground beef may become loose, and the originally evenly mixed seasonings may also be unevenly distributed, which will affect the final taste and flavor of the meat patty.
However, if it is frozen after baking, the situation is completely different, because the baked meat patty already has the due shape, taste and flavor. After the baked meat patty cools down, it can be sealed properly with plastic wrap or a fresh-keeping bag and then put into the freezer.
When you need to eat it, as long as you take it out of the freezer and heat it slightly on the oven or frying pan, it can quickly return to the wonderful state just after baking.
How long can pies be frozen?
The freezing time of pies will be affected by the type of pie and the storage conditions.
Generally speaking, if it is an ordinary meat pie, vegetable pie or fruit pie, it can be stored for 1-3 months under ideal freezing conditions. In a low temperature environment, the growth of microorganisms and the rate of chemical reactions become extremely slow, and the quality can be maintained for a certain period of time.
However, for some cream pies or cheese pies containing dairy products, the freezing time may be slightly shorter, about 1-2 months. Because dairy products may separate oil and water after being frozen for a long time, which will affect the taste and texture.
Note:
I recommend that frozen pies be eaten within 1 month, because even if the pie is within the freezing period, the taste and flavor of the pie will gradually change over time. For example, the crust may become dry and hard, and the freshness of the filling will also decrease.
How to freeze pies after baking?
Freezing a baked pie is very simple. The details are as follows:
The baked pie needs to be placed at room temperature and cooled naturally first. Don't freeze it directly, otherwise the heat will form water vapor during the freezing process and affect the quality of the pie.
For the cooled pie, you can wrap it tightly with plastic wrap to prevent the pie from losing moisture during freezing and avoid mixing flavors with other foods.
After that, put the wrapped pies neatly into the freezer. Note that they should be placed in layers and not squeezed together to ensure that each pie can be frozen evenly.
Precautions
For frozen baked pies, you can mark the freezing date on the sealed bag or plastic wrap, which can facilitate mastering the order of consumption and ensure enjoying delicious pies within the best taste period.
