Refrigerate pumpkin pie?

[Trench]

My girlfriend and I are cooking our first Thanksgiving dinner and I took care of baking the pumpkin pies tonight. Once they were done, she asked if I was going to put them in the refrigerator and I said no. She said her family always has, though my family never has.

I decided to see what the interwebs had to say. Seems most sites are saying refrigeration is an absolute must as bacteria will begin forming right away if it's not put in the fridge.

In the 30 Thanksgivings I have lived through, my mother has always made four or more pies and never refrigerated them, even though some of them didn't get finished up for nearly a week. Both my maternal and paternal grandmothers make pies every year and never refrigerate them. Nobody has ever gotten sick from eating them.

Are all these warnings about refrigerating pumpkin pies a result of an overly germ sensitive modern culture? Or has my family been avoiding certain doom all this time? I could see tempting fate once or twice and getting away with it, but nobody getting sick in over 70 years from eating non-refrigerated pies has to be more than just a fluke. Or maybe we all just have really great immune systems...

[JoeH]

We always put 'em on the back porch, but it wasn't heated.

[jonwings]

I do not think you need to refrigerate them. When you buy them in the store they are usually not refrigerated. That being said, I prefer my pumpkin pie cold.

[Sue]

Refridgerate, there are eggs and milk in the ingredients to spoil. Or just eat it all. It's not as filling if you ditch the crust. :001_rolle
Sue

[tclevela]

We always put 'em on the back porch, but it wasn't heated.

Baking is an Art not a Science. With that out of the way. If it has eggs or dairy in it you should put it into the fridge.

However I have never put a Pumpkin pie in the fridge and it hasn't made me or my family sick. I use this basic recipe for my pie http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Libbys-Famous-Pumpkin-Pie/Detail.aspx

[KaiserKrebs]

The pies should be left out to cool completely, but for no more than two hours. They should be put in the fridge at this time. The danger zone for cold foods is above 41 degrees Fahrenheit, for hot foods is anything below 140 degrees Fahrenheit. All leftovers should be put into the fridge within one hour after the meal.

Cool the pies away from the hot kitchen-stove area, but as I mentioned let cool completely before putting in the fridge. If not the pies remain hot while trying to cool in the fridge, and effectively create the "danger zone" for bacterial growth. Above 41.F and below 140.F

I know people as well who have never refrigerated their pumpkin pies either and never gotten sick, but it's better to be safe than sorry. The big box stores get away with keeping the Pumpkin pies out because they typically use pasteurized eggs and evaporated milk, which retards spoilage times.

Have a great, and happy Thanksgiving. :chef:

[Sullybob]

Refridgerate, there are eggs and milk in the ingredients to spoil. Or just eat it all. It's not as filling if you ditch the crust. :001_rolle
Sue

I like the way you think :lol:

[thirdeye]

Pumpkin pie never lasts long enough to need refrigeration.....:blushing:

[chainfire]

Pumpkin pie never lasts long enough to need refrigeration.....:blushing:

+1 :001_smile It's like asking how you store freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

[Antique Hoosier]

So many great points made already. The only one I will suggest is..... Don't make this a potential source of argument between you and your girlfriend. I say make love not war (especially when everybody else passes out from eating too much turkey)

[Confuzius]

I'd say in the fridge, not that I wouldn't eat a pie that accidentally got left out, but if it's going to be for any extended period of time you never know what kind of wild microbeasts might be lurking... Pumpkin pie surface is practically an agar plate waiting to happen...

[Trench]

I did put them in the fridge as I didn't see any reason not to, and as one of you has pointed out it's best not to start an argument with the girlfriend on Thanksgiving (or any other time for that matter!) :biggrin1:

The thing that gets me though is the argument that because the pies have dairy and eggs in them, they need to be refrigerated. Cookies and cakes have eggs and dairy in them, and I've never heard anyone suggest they need to be refrigerated after cooking.

[MMCCX]

if it will make potential eaters more comfortable, refrigerate.

that said i grew up with hanging meat and wild game to age without issues. pies sat maybe a day or two under a flyscreen on the kitchen counter before they were gone.

(only time i ever got sick was at KFC....).

[Ru4scuba?]

Pumpkin pie never lasts long enough to need refrigeration.....:blushing:

Amen brother...Amen!

BTW...the Food Network has an amazing pie topping to top off your pumpkin masterpiece...just combine cranberries, pecans and a few cookies (recipie calls for amaretti, but I used Delta Airlines Bischoff cookies) into a food processor for a quick chop.

Makes for a crunchy and slightly tart topping which is an amazing compliment to any pumpkin pie.

I'm sure many of you have had this before, but last night was my first time...I like the topping almost as much as the pie!

[Kouros]

I would refrigerate it but it does taste better at room temp so be sure to let it defrost before serving.

[davecmu]

+1 :001_smile It's like asking how you store freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

You must live at my house, because this is exactly what happens every time I make cookies. Strange phenomenon. I think we'll have to do some "research" on this topic this weekend...

[e d o]

If it was just a few hours I wouldn't bother refrigerating it but for something longer I would. There's a lot of moisture in a Pie as compare to cookies and most bacteria do better in a moist environment. But pie is best at room temp so just pull it 1-2 hrs before you want to eat it and everyone is happy.

[WhosYerBob]

Your family has been *just* avoiding food poisoning - especially when considering pumpkin pie is made with eggs and dairy.

[Trench]

Your family has been *just* avoiding food poisoning - especially when considering pumpkin pie is made with eggs and dairy.

That's the thing though. 70 years is a long time to merely be avoiding getting sick. Also, cakes and cookies are made with eggs and dairy and nobody suggests keeping them refrigerated.

[Kouros]

That's the thing though. 70 years is a long time to merely be avoiding getting sick. Also, cakes and cookies are made with eggs and dairy and nobody suggests keeping them refrigerated.

Cakes and cookies don't contain nearly as much moisture as pie so your argument is unfair.

[airplanedoc]

there are eggs and milk in the ingredients to spoil

I don't refrigerate cake it has eggs and milk in it. I am still alive after 30+ years of leaving the pie sit on the counter. It sometimes makes it to the fridge if there is room, or out on the 2nd floor balcony occassionally as well.

Either way i don't think it will kill you

[KaiserKrebs]

The purpose of cooking, or freezing any type of food is to kill, or inhibit harmful bacteria growth. As I stated earlier the "Danger Zone" for raw, uncooked foods is a temperature above 41 degrees Fahrenheit.( this includes foods meant to be refrigerated). For cooked foods the "Danger Zone" temp is anything below 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The minimum holding temp for hot foods on a buffet is 140 degrees F.

A refrigerator will not kill bacteria in any raw, uncooked food, only inhibit its growth. This is why food must be fully cooked before consuming. It's not a coincidence that the minimum acceptable temperature for rare, roast beef or prime rib is 140 degrees F.

Harmful, food borne bacteria thrive in warm, moist environments high in protein are highly susceptible. (meat, eggs, milk etc.) The milk and eggs are the culprits in your unrefrigerated pumpkin pie...yes they have been cooked, but unless the pie is cooked to the point of absolute dryness, the bacteria will still be present. This is also why your baked cookie argument crumbles so to speak. The bacteria have been rendered harmless by baking out the moisture that they need to multiply. Unbaked cookie dough must be kept refrigerated because of the raw eggs in it. If you use pastuerized eggs, and evaporated milk like many large factories, you reduce the potential of the bacteria to be present, and or multiply.

In the food service industry there is an acronym, called F.A.T. T.O.M. which stands for, Food-protein rich foods susceptible to spoilage, Acidity- food needs to be below a ph of 4.5 to kill microorganisms (water is ph 7) Time- food must not be kept out of the safety zone temps for more than one hour if possible. Temperature- below 41F, above 140F. Oxygen- All foodborne pathogens require oxygen to grow(except botulism) Moisture- all pathogens also require moisture to grow(dried foods carry little or no moisture).

Many people have actually had food poisoning, and never realized it. It is often misdiagnosed in all but the most serious cases. The most common is when someone says "oh, I must have a stomach flu."

Anyway, hope this provides some useful information. A good holiday host does not get their dinner guests sick, unintentional or otherwise. Saw this post, and thought I could put my ServSafe certificate to use after a few years.

Happy Holidays. :santa:

[Icemanxxxv]

Pumpkin pie doesn't last long enough to spoil in my house!

[Monkeydad]

I refrigerate any leftovers, but never stick it in the fridge until it has been freshly enjoyed...or enjoyed freshly...you know what I mean!

[xriley]

I don't think refrigeration is necessary. Actually, I think that refrigeration negatively affects the taste of pies. People have cooked pies for 100's of years and not regrigerated afterwards. The eggs and milk are cooked. Cooking has been making bad food safe for 1000's of years.

I have never heard of a pie related death due to bacteria, maybe over consumption.

[Houndawg]

The purpose of cooking, or freezing any type of food is to kill, or inhibit harmful bacteria growth. As I stated earlier the "Danger Zone" for raw, uncooked foods is a temperature above 41 degrees Fahrenheit.( this includes foods meant to be refrigerated). For cooked foods the "Danger Zone" temp is anything below 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The minimum holding temp for hot foods on a buffet is 140 degrees F.

A refrigerator will not kill bacteria in any raw, uncooked food, only inhibit its growth. This is why food must be fully cooked before consuming. It's not a coincidence that the minimum acceptable temperature for rare, roast beef or prime rib is 140 degrees F.



Rare prime rib is 120-125 degrees. 140 degrees is way too done for prime rib, unless you like overcooked beef. Minimum temperature standards for the food service industry are overkill.

Leave your pie out. It'll be just fine.

[kingfisher]

Rare prime rib is 120-125 degrees. 140 degrees is way too done for prime rib, unless you like overcooked beef. Minimum temperature standards for the food service industry are overkill.

Leave your pie out. It'll be just fine.

Prime rib is safe at 120-125 degrees because the bacteria are on the OUTSIDE of a steak, and the outside is cooked to a much higher temperature. That's why hamburger is NOT safe at 120-125, because the OUTSIDES of the steak have now been ground up and become the INSIDE of the hamburger.

I store cream pies and pumpkin pies in the refrigerator. (I'm an infectious diseases physician, FWIW.)

[razorrookie]

I had this same issue pop up last week. I won't put forth my opinion since my family tends to be more lax and my stomach is often called the "garbage disposal", and not because I'm a picky eater if you know what I mean.

Anyway, the popular cooking book "The Joy of Cooking" says to refrigerate them. However, it does not say to refrigerate their pecan pie recipie.

[Kouros]

Anyway, the popular cooking book "The Joy of Cooking" says to refrigerate them. However, it does not say to refrigerate their pecan pie recipie.

Exactly, pecan pie filling does not contain eggs or milk.

Pumpkin pie filling does.

And for those who believe they never had food poisoning: you did. Sometimes diarrhea, gas, indigestion, cramps, etc. are food poisining. You just brushed it off as a case of "the runs", or something else to that effect.

[Chevyguy]

I bake them the night before and leave them out to cool and don't refridgerate until the next evening when all the leftovers are being put away. My family has always done it this way and nobody has ever gotten food poisoning from it.

Clayton

[jwhite]

Exactly, pecan pie filling does not contain eggs or milk.

Pumpkin pie filling does.

And for those who believe they never had food poisoning: you did. Sometimes diarrhea, gas, indigestion, cramps, etc. are food poisining. You just brushed it off as a case of "the runs", or something else to that effect.

Pecan pie most definitely does contain eggs.

[airplanedoc]

Pecan pie most definitely does contain eggs.

It sure does.

Lets leave it at this If you choose to refrigerate your pumpking pie, go ahead it won't hurt you. If you so choose not to, while ther could be some risk, it has been done for many years, without harm.

Please eat you pie before spoiling, bacteria, and getting sick become a issue. See you next thanksgiving.

BTW "I stayed at a holiday inn express last night"

[Kouros]

I can't remember the last time I had the runs.

Maybe because I refrigerate eggs and dairy....

[Hreafn]

Its a custard style pie and needs to be kept in the chill chest.

[KaiserKrebs]

Rare prime rib is 120-125 degrees. 140 degrees is way too done for prime rib, unless you like overcooked beef. Minimum temperature standards for the food service industry are overkill.

Leave your pie out. It'll be just fine.

You are correct, I incorrectly stated that rare roast beef temp was 140 degrees fahrenheit, when that's the temp for Medium -rare.

The temperature range for very rare, rare, and medium rare is 115-140 degrees fahrenheit, anything above 140F is overdone in my opinion as well. I forgot to mention that pulling the prime rib from the oven 10 degrees before your target temp is the correct procedure. (temp rises 5-10 degrees) during the resting period.

I know that some like their prime rib "bloody as hell", but I prefer mine just a bit below medium-rare.

Kingfisher is correct in stating that, the minimum temps are more crucial in cooking ground meats versus primal cuts, for the reason he stated. I was a meat cutter for many years (not a butcher) as I never broke down any sides etc...just processed primal cuts, into counter product.

People were incredulous when I told them that the package of slightly oxidised(Brown spotting) package of steaks on clearance, would be much more tender than the bright red ones. It's sort of a secret among meat cutters, butcher's etc. :death:

[ryanpotts]

What is the big problem may I ask? its ok to refrigirate every type of food. we can always reheat them later...
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[Slash McCoy]

If it is not left out for hours and hours and hours, then it is not going to grow enough bacteria to make anybody sick. But I vote refrigerate. It tastes better cold, and whipped cream or even the fake stuff lsts longer on cold pie.

[VampyreWolf]

The only time I eat pumpkin pie warmed up is thanksgiving.

Other than that it's either out of the fridge or in a container on my desk for a couple hours.

I've got my food safety and scored almost perfect on the test. I leave hot food on the stove or counter to cool down for a couple hours before it goes in the fridge (or it creates a hot spot in the fridge).

But yeah, asking if you need to toss cookies and cake in the fridge is useless... they're not going to last long enough. The 2nd day if you're lucky. Pies usually last into the 3rd or 4th day.