Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Apple Pie Bulk Prep & Freeze

It's difficult for me to put a recipe online because with the exception of baked goods I don't measure when I cook. Although Apple Pie is technically a baked good, I'm not making my own crust so the process is expedited. In fact, if I have someone work the apple peeler for me, I can make 8 pies in an hour. That's right. 8 pies. 1 hour.

Who in the world needs 8 pies? You do. When you have a holiday potluck, take a pie. When your neighbor is recovering from surgery, take a pie. Your bestie's birthday, family supper or Bosses Day. You can never go wrong with Apple Pie.

You can drizzle it with caramel and make it decadent. Top it with French Vanilla ice cream for a class crowd pleasure or just heat up a slice and have it with your morning coffee. That's right. Pie for breakfast. It has fruit. 

I started the mass production of pies because each year we get a case of apples during picking season and they don't last forever. I make apple butter, apple sauce and apple pie and either freeze and can all of it so we have a good stash until the next apple picking season. 

The Method

I use store bought pie crusts from the freezer section at the grocery store for the bottom crust. I use the roll out crusts for the top crust. 

I wash my apples and put out all 8 bottom crusts. Then put sliced apples in the first shell, second shell, third and on and on until you have the first layer in all 8 pie shells. Mix the sugars together and grab a stick of butter from the freezer. Top with 1/4 cup of sugar mixture, sprinkle with apple pie spice and then use a cheese grater to dot the top with butter in all 8 shells. 

Layer, repeat. Layer , repeat until your pie is the right height. Then drop the roll out crust over the top and seal the edge. Sometimes it helps to brush a little water on the edges to help the edges seal.

Then I put the pies without any covering in the freezer until they are hard, (a few hours) and then in the evening I wrap them with plastic wrap and the a second time with foil. 

The cheese grater and frozen butter is the secret sauce y'all. It really speeds up the process. The set up and clean up are the hardest part of this method, but with set up, creation and clean up, the whole project takes less than 2 hours. 



Apple Pie Recipe (makes 8 pies)

Ingredients

30 Large Apples - Use a good pie apple. You want something firm. 
3 c. White Sugar
1 c. Brown Sugar
Apple Pie Spice for sprinkling
1 stick of frozen butter

8 Frozen Deep Dish Pie Shells (4 packs of 2)
8 Roll-Out Pie Crusts (4 packs of 2)

Instructions:

  1. Unwrap and put 8 pie crusts on an even surface (countertop or island works well)
  2. Put a layer of apple slices in each crust
  3. Sprinkle a 1/4 cup of the sugar mixture over the apple layer
  4. Sprinkle the layer with Apple Pie Spice
  5. Continue layering until Pie is desired height
  6. Top with roll-out crust, following directions on package for thawing, crimping edges to seal
  7. With a sharp knife, cut vents in the top of the pie
  8. Place on level surface in the freezer and leave uncovered until solid
  9. Once pies are solid they can be tightly wrapped with plastic wrap and the followed with a tightly wrapped layer of aluminum foil. 
Remember these pies are going to be frozen for a long time, and you want to avoid freezer burn so the one you cook on the 4th of July is just as delicious as the one you'll make the first time. 

Preparation:

  1. Pull frozen pie from freezer
  2. Remove wrap and place pie on cookie sheet
  3. Bake at 425 degrees with a piece of foil lightly over the top for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 40-50 minutes until golden brown.

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