How Long Are Pillsbury Pie Crusts Good For?
Pillsbury pie crusts are an absolute delight and an incredibly nifty and practical solution when you want to make a pie but don’t want to bother too much. Pillsbury pie crusts are known to taste like homemade ones and maybe even better if you are not that experienced in the pie crust domain. Another great thing about the Pillsbury pie crusts is that they are very durable, so you will be able to use them long after you buy them. So how long are Pillsbury pie crusts good for?
The Pillsbury pie crusts are best by the “best before date.” Unopened, you can keep them on the shelf for years; while opened, you can use them two months after opening. The freezer and the fridge can also prolong the shelf-life of the Pillsbury pie crusts.
Pillsbury pie crusts are very popular among the pie-lovers as they are so incredibly delicious and make excellent pie bases. The only thing you need to do about them is thinking of your best filling to put inside and enjoy your Pillsbury crust pie. Since it would be a shame to ruin a pie experience that could have been your reward for a job well done, in the following paragraphs, I will explain how long the Pillsbury pie crusts last under different conditions.
How Long Does Pillsbury Pie Crust Last?
At the very beginning let’s take a look at a cheat sheet.
| Conditions | How long does Pillsbury crust last? |
|---|---|
| Unopened refrigerated | Up to six months |
| Unopened in the freezer | Indefinitely |
| Unopened at room temperature | Two or three months |
| Opened refrigerated | Up to two weeks |
| Opened in the freezer | Up to three months |
| Baked in the refrigerator | Up to a week |
| Baked in the freezer | Up to three months |
| Baked at room temperature | Up to five days |
The Pillsbury pie crusts are known to be pretty long-lasting and are therefore a favorite product of many. They last anywhere from two months to a couple of years, depending on the conditions they have been kept under. Now, the longer you store them, their taste may weaken and become milder.
However, the milder taste isn’t anything you cannot fix by adding a juicy, flavorful filling into the crust.
An unopened and refrigerated Pillsbury pie crust lasts about six months. Although it isn’t necessary to refrigerate an unopened Pillsbury pie, you may still need to do so if you don’t have a suitable storing area. The unopened Pillsbury pie crust lasts longer than in the fridge, as a dry and dark area is way better than the fridge, where the crust may absorb moisture and change its consistency.
The Pillsbury pie crusts will likely turn out crumbly and lose stability, which they need to have as they are the pie base. They will still be safe, but they may endure irreparable damage regarding their texture and flavor. So unless absolutely necessary, I don’t recommend refrigerating an unopened pack of Pillsbury pie crusts.
Unopened in the freezer, the Pillsbury pie crust can be stored indefinitely. Just like with the fridge, an unopened Pillsbury pie crust pack doesn’t need to be frozen. However, if the freezer is the best storage for your Pillsbury pie crust, feel free to freeze the pack, as it will be safe and sound for a long time.
Since Pillsbury pie crusts don’t contain any perishables, there’s nothing in them that could go bad if they are left at room temperature. Therefore, you don’t need to freeze or refrigerate them if you can keep them in your pantry. At room temperature, an unopened pack of Pillsbury can go for two, maybe three months.
However, even though the Pillsbury pie crusts are very durable, they are not immortal, so there is a risk of them going bad if you aren’t careful enough. Room temperature is 20 °C or around 68 °F, and keeping your Pillsbury pie crusts at a higher temperature, even for a degree or two, can damage them. So, always ensure that the storage area temperature is appropriate, and refrigerate or freeze your Pillsbury pie crusts if you don’t have such conditions.
An opened refrigerated pack of Pillsbury pie crusts can last for about two weeks. It’s not that it will go bad, but once opened, the Pillsbury pie crusts are exposed to external elements that tend to quickly dry up the dough. Since the Pillsbury pie crusts don’t contain any perishables, there is nothing to spoil, but the consistency of the crust will be ruined.
The pie crusts will lose elasticity, and since there’s no butter or eggs in the dough, there will be nothing to make up for the lost dough quality. You will get a hard and unstable crust with a lousy pie base. So, if you still haven’t used your Pillsbury pie crusts two weeks after refrigeration, you should discard them.
Store the Pillsbury pie crusts in an airtight container, or wrap them in a plastic foil and place them in a regular plastic storing box.
If you have already baked your Pillsbury pie crusts and you changed your mind about making the pie, you can store them in the fridge for about one week before you absolutely need to make or freeze the pie. However, if you store them on the middle shelf and wrap them in plastic foil, the fridge may rehydrate them up to some extent bringing them the freshness they have lost. The already dehydrated pie crusts will be additionally dried up in the fridge, rendering them unusable after a week.
Still, this is a tricky business, so I recommend you make the pie latest one week after baking and refrigerating the pie crusts. Refrigerate your baked Pillsbury pie crusts in an airtight container.
In the freezer, the baked Pillsbury pie crusts can hold up for three months, after which they will likely be virtually tasteless. They will be safe to eat but won’t contribute to the pie flavor in any way. In addition, they may become crumbly and unpleasant for the palate. Store them in freezer baggies and transfer them to an airtight container.
A baked Pillsbury pie crust can be good at room temperature for up to five days. The Pillsbury pie crusts are famous for allowing you to make them three days in advance before making the pie. So three days on the counter is a joke for Pillsbury pie crusts, and the added two days are also a risk-free period.
However, I must stress that the room temperature must be just that, 20 °C, i.e., 68 °F, as above that temperature, there will be chemical processes triggered in the crust that will rapidly diminish its quality and render it unusable. Keep the baked Pillsbury pie crust in the pan where you baked it, but cover it with a paper or cotton towel.
How to Store Pillsbury Pie Crust?
Even though Pillsbury pie crusts are durable, that doesn’t mean you can store them just anyhow. They are low-maintenance in terms of storing, but you do need to meet some conditions so that they serve you well.
You don’t have to bother storing an unopened pack of Pillsbury pie crusts, as the original pack is the perfect storing container for them. You need to provide a dark and cool area with a temperature of up to 20 °C, i.e., 68 °F. Just place them on a shelf, and you forget about them until you crave a tasty pie.
If you refrigerate your Pillsbury pie crusts, make sure you store them in airtight containers, or even better, wrapped in plastic foil and placed into airtight containers. The fridge tends to dry out the Pillsbury pie crusts, so the plastic foil wrap is a clever way to help them retain some moisture.
If you freeze your Pillsbury pie crusts, keep them in a freezer baggy placed in an airtight container. Stored this way, the Pillsbury pie crusts will be well-protected from the surrounding air and temperature changes (while you open and close the freezer) and will manage to retain a good amount of their original flavor.
Can You Use Pillsbury Pie Crust After Expiring?
Pillsbury pie crusts are good for about two months after the “best before date,” but there will be a noticeable flavor reduction. [1] You can use the Pillsbury pie crust after it has expired, but it will in no way be as good as before. It will be safe, but it won’t be fun.
The Pillsbury pie crust will become crumbly after it has expired and will have a very mild to no flavor, so if you really need to, you can use it, but don’t expect too much.
