Hi, everyone, since I consider myself an orphan as both my mother and grandmother no longer is here with me, I have no one to call up for advice on cooking/baking.

My question is, I want to make my apple pies ahead and freeze them, first off I'm going to use premade pie shells no time to make homemade...
- so do I partly pre-cook the bottom crust then put the apple mixture in (homemade) then put the unbaked top crust on and freeze
- or do I just make up my apple filling, put in unbaked pie shell, put top crust on and freeze
- or do I just bake the whole pie and then freeze, then take out day before and thaw?
My concern is, that the liquid from the filling will make the bottom crust soggy....

Thanks to everyone who helps me with this. It's such an emotional time for me when I know I just can't pick up the phone and call mom or grandma for help...

When I learned for 4-H years ago, we froze them with out pre-baking. When you are ready to bake do not thaw them, bake them from the freezer as usual.

Hi :)
I do not precook the shell.
Just fill it with your apples (raw)..before freezing.
Then when you are ready to bake...Just put in oven frozen..make sure you cut slits (make a pretty design) on top for the steam to escape. Once you start seeing the juices bubbling thru the slits, your pie is done!

Hi Btiny

I would love to be your question mom...... You can PM me any time...........

ScrapQuilter

Feel free to PM me anytime you want!! Hope your pie is a success!! :D :D :D

I have a recipe for a Dutch Apple Crumb Pie that is heavenly and super simple. PM me if you would like to have it.

I'd be glad to answer any cooking questions you have. Just PM me. Hope this TOH site helps you.I like the last post.BTW.....just wrap them good & if baking for holidays, you can bake them the day before, if you want.I also cut 3 strips of foil,2-3" wide & put on the pie edge to keep it from getting too dark.

http://community.tasteofhome.com/forums/t/670901.aspx

The foil is a useful trick to have. I have used it many times and it does keep the crust from burning to a crisp! I also have a wonderful recipe for fresh apple pie filling. I love it because it is a dark colored filling so no need to use fruit fresh products (save a step where you can in holiday baking). pm me if you would like to have it :)

Aw, we have such sweet people here! So many people willing to help!

I just wanted to point out that if you use a beaten eggwhite to brush the bottom inside of the pie crust, before you put the apples in, you will not have a soggy bottom on your pies.

I used to freeze them since we got masses of fruit from our own orchards. I would rub a layer of melted butter on the bottom shells before adding the filling. And be sure to close out all the air.
They are lovely in the middle of a cold winter with the wind howling and hurling branches at the house and rain pelting against the windows..makes a home smell like a home should. DH and kids would hang around the kitchen, all with plates and forks in hand...

The worlds finest Moms and Grandmoms are on this web site!!
Good luck btiny36!!

Sorry it has taken me soooo long to reply to all the wonderful suggestions and willingness to adopt me...It brought tears to my eyes :cry: but they are good tears. I soooo terribly miss my mom and grandma they were my rock. So if I understand correctly, I will just make my filling and put in my frozen pie crust, cover with top crust and seal&freeze...then the day before or morning of, just put in oven frozen and let it cook...I'm using my Grandmother's recipe for this...I knew about covering the edges of the pie so the crust doesnt doesn't burn...My Grandmother just cut out the inside of a tin pie plate and used the edge to lay on top the the pie and it works perfect to prevent the edges from burning....really cool idea...My only question is, if you are baking it from a frozen state what tempiture are u using, one wouldn't cook it at hight temp then lower it like you would if it was made fresh. So would 325 or 350 degrees be the temp....

Once again thanks soooooo much for wanting to take me under your wings...yes you all are the wings of Angels :)

This is what I found....hope it helps.I'd bake it a good 60-70 mins.Sounds like a wonderful pie...apple is my fav. Enjoy!

You do not have to thaw it before you bake it, although it will take less time to bake if you do. I prefer to bake frozen, as I find the pastry is less soggy in the end that way. Preheat your oven to 350F or 180C. Place the frozen pie on a sheet pan, and make sure you cut steam vents in the top crust. Bake the pie for upwards of one hour, checking on it after about 40 minutes to see if the crust is starting to overbrown. If the edges begin to brown more than you would like, you can shield them with strips of foil crimped over them. As the pie gets closed to done, you will likely notice liquid bubbling out around the steam vents you cut. The pie itself will have a nice overall browned color, and the smell should be wonderful, just as it is done. If you like, you can test the doneness of the apples by poking one through a steam vent. If it is hard to puncture a slice, it's not done. If it is easy to puncture, it is done. When the crust is nicely browned and the apples are soft, the pie is done. This may actually take slightly more than an hour- depending on how thick the apple slices are cut, and how thickly packed in the pie they are. Use the toothpick to test them before you remove it from the oven. I would suggest testing every five minutes or so, beyond the one hour point. Cool the pie on a rack or on the stove top coil/gas rings until it is room temperature to allow the filling to set. Otherwise when you cut a slice, the filling will run all over to fill the empty spot. Don't try baking at a higher temperature because the crust will cook before the filling does and you will end up with raw pie- yuck. The idea is to have it all cook at the same time, and the filling is going to have to thaw in the oven before it can start cooking. Slow and steady does a much better job at this. If you can't see through the pie plate to check the lower pastry, sometimes you can lift an side away from the pan after about 30 minutes or so of baking. It should just be pale, but beginning to cook at that point. By the end of baking, both top and bottom crust should be a light golden brown color, with the crimped edges a bit darker, and the filling should be hot and bubbly. It will all thicken as it cools. Good luck, and good eating.

I don't pre-cook either. And when using the pie crust from the store, try roller them out thinner. I like thin crust and found that helps in times of crunch.........