How to Reheat Lemon Meringue Pie? Read This First!
Lemon meringue pie is a delicious and refreshing dessert. Unfortunately, it contains a high amount of fats and carbs, so chances are, you won’t finish the entire thing in one sitting. Therefore, you will have to find a solution for the leftover pie, other than throwing it away. So, how to reheat lemon pie meringue?
To reheat lemon meringue pie, keep it in the oven at 250 °F for 15 minutes. But, generally speaking, you don’t reheat lemon meringue pie, as it isn’t supposed to be served hot. However, if your lemon custard has already fully chilled before topping it with the meringue, then you need to reheat the custard-filled crust.
Even though you don’t really need to reheat a lemon meringue pie, mostly because it tastes great at room temperature, in the following paragraphs I will explain how to reheat it, how to keep it from getting soggy, whether or not you can eat it the next day, and how to store it properly.
How to Reheat Lemon Meringue Pie?
As I already mentioned, you don’t reheat your lemon meringue pie. However, there are two cases where you could do this.
Since the custard should be hot when topped with the meringue, you should reheat the custard-filled crust if it has already gotten cold. It is best to make the meringue and the custard simultaneously to bond them properly when layered together.
However, if, for whatever reason, you can’t get the timing right, and you have already filled the crust with custard, reheat the pie before adding the meringue. You should reheat the pie very slowly, at moderate temperature, no more than 250°F, gradually increasing it. This should last about 10-15 minutes, and make sure you have the pie near the top heater to heat the custard without burning the crust.
Another case when you could reheat your lemon meringue pie is when you simply want to have it or serve it warm. Still, you don’t have to do this, as the pie will do nicely at room temperature or cold.
When you reheat the lemon meringue pie, please do it at a low temperature and leave it in the oven for 10 minutes. Please don’t increase the temperature, and once you take it out, cover your pie with a cloth. This will ensure that the meringue isn’t sticky and the crust isn’t too hard to bite.
How Do You Prevent Your Lemon Meringue Pie from Getting Soggy?
Lemon meringue pies can get soggy, which is a known issue. Fortunately, there are things you can do to prevent or fix this.
The crucial step you mustn’t skip is prebaking the crust. The crust will dehydrate and become far less absorbent, giving you a firm and dry base to begin with.
Another thing is to take your pie out of the oven as soon as it is done. Letting it sit in the oven will result in a soggy pie, as it will absorb the vapor.
Add enough cornstarch to the filling. If your filling isn’t thick enough, the crust will absorb the moisture from it, which will result in a soggy pie.
Bake your pie on a fireproof glass plate. This way, your pie will absorb the heat from the oven faster, which will significantly reduce the baking time, lowering the chances of your pie absorbing the vapor.
Bake your pie in the bottom half of the oven, where the crust will be near the heaters, dehydrating it faster and lowering the chances of turning out soggy.
And lastly, after you take out the pie, let it cool and cover it with a cloth. This way, your pie will be rich and creamy and not soggy.
Cover your pie with plastic foil will get it very moist, so don’t do this. Aluminum foil is to cover your pie when in the fridge, as it will cause the same effect as the plastic wrap.
If you still decide to cover your pie with aluminum foil, make sure you poke a few holes in it so that the moisture doesn’t stay below the foil. This technique doesn’t work for plastic wrap because it is made to retain moisture.
Can You Serve Lemon Meringue Pie the Next Day?
It is best to serve your lemon meringue pie the day you make it. However, if you have to make it the day before, you can certainly serve it the next day, but keep a few things in mind.
Cover your lemon meringue pie and store it at room temperature until the next day, but not longer. Also, you can keep it in the fridge, but don’t forget to cover it with aluminum foil.
You can refrigerate your pie for up to three days. However, fridge time can make your pie runny as it will absorb the moist air from the fridge, so store it on the top shelf.
To get the best results, pop your pie in the fridge and take it out for a couple of hours before serving. If you don’t want to refrigerate it, leave it at room temperature until you serve it (not more than a day at most).
If you decide to serve your lemon meringue pie warmly, pop it in the oven at a low temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving. Remember that you should let your pie sit at room temperature for an hour before you warm it up.
