Other than the sides and the main course, dessert is one of the most important parts of a holiday dinner. One of the most popular desserts is pie. From apple and peach to pumpkin and pecan, everyone can find a pie they enjoy. Pecan pie tends to be a favorite in the southern part of the United States. You can buy pecan pie far in advance for the holidays, but you need to be able to properly store the pie. Does pecan pie have to be refrigerated or can it sit out?
For safety reasons, you need to refrigerate your pecan pie. This is due to the eggs and butter in the ingredients of the pie. These can cause the pie to spoil if left out at room temperature for an extended period of time.
Continue reading to learn more about refrigerating pecan pie. Also, continue reading to learn how to properly store your pecan pie as well as how long your pie can go unrefrigerated.
Do Pecan Pies Need to Be Refrigerated?
You need to refrigerate your pecan pie if you are not eating it at the moment. Bacteria can grow on the pie if left out at room temperature for an extended period of time.
Despite the pie being already baked, you should not leave the pie out on the counter. Bacteria tends to grow in pies that have a filling that is egg-based quickly. You want to store the pie properly in the refrigerator in order to maintain freshness and keep the pie from being contaminated by other foods in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze pecan pie to make the pie last longer. The pie can still spoil when kept in the freezer for too long, and you will need to defrost the pie before you can eat it. For these reasons, the refrigerator tends to be the best place to store pecan pie.
Why Do You Need to Refrigerate Pecan Pie?
It is best to store your pecan pie in the refrigerator. You do not want to keep the pie out at room temperature for an extended period of time. This is due to the ingredients that are needed to make the pecan pie.
To make pecan pie, you will use products like eggs and butter. These are two food items that are meant to be refrigerated rather than left out on the counter. Bacteria tends to grow on them much more easily when they are left out at room temperature for an extended period of time.
Since these two ingredients are meant to be kept in the refrigerator, it makes sense that a dish that uses both in its recipe should be refrigerated as well.
How Long Can a Pecan Pie Go Unrefrigerated?
For pecan pie, it is best that the pie only sit out at room temperature for around two hours. If left out any longer, there is the chance that bacteria has begun to grow in the pie. This bacteria can be harmful to you and make you sick.
It is best to stay safe and keep the pie in the refrigerator, but you want to properly store the pie in the refrigerator rather than just placing it in the refrigerator without any covering.
How Do You Store a Pecan Pie in the Fridge?
Whether you bought your pecan pie from the store or you made it yourself, it is important to store the pei in the refrigerator in order to prevent spoilage. It is easy to store pecan pie if you have purchased it from the store.
The pie is already in some form of packaging. You can leave the pie in this packaging until you are ready to eat it. After you have opened the packaging, you want to consider putting the pie in an airtight container in order to keep it fresh.
When it comes to storing pecan pie that you have made yourself, there are a few more steps involved. The first step to store your homemade pecan pie is to let the pie cool before storing it. You do not want to put the pie in the refrigerator after it just came out of the oven.
Then, you need to wrap the pie. You can use saran wrap to do this. You do not want to wrap the pie too tightly. If you wrap the pie too tightly, this can cause a change in the pie’s texture and shape. After it is wrapped, you can put the pie in the refrigerator. You can also put the wrapped pie in a large, airtight container to preserve the freshness of the pie.
Final Thoughts
Pecan pie is a great dessert for the holidays. Whether you buy the pie from the store or make the pie yourself, it is important that you properly store the pie in the refrigerator. You do not want to keep the pie out at room temperature as bacteria will start to grow in and on the pie after a few hours.
