Does pecan tart need to be refrigerated? - Storage Guide

Pecan tart is a very popular dessert, and with good reason, who doesn’t love its sweet and nutty flavor, topped off with a dollop of ice cream?

If you make your pecan pie at home, you’ll want to make sure it stays fresh for as long as possible, so you and your family can enjoy every bit.

Once the pecan tart is baked, should you refrigerate it?

The answer is yes. The walnut tart contains egg, which is an ingredient that needs to stay in a cooler environment, like the fridge. The same goes for all egg based tarts. If stored in the refrigerator, the walnut tart will stay fresh for longer.

Read on to find out how to refrigerate, freeze, and thaw pecan tart.

Why do you have to refrigerate the walnut cake?

Store-bought pecan tarts contain preservatives and other ingredients that allow them to be shelf-stable, but if you’re making the pecan tart at home, you’ll most likely use an egg base.

If you don’t plan on eating the pecan pie within two hours of baking, you’ll have to put it in the fridge , and it’s okay to put the pecan pie in the fridge if it’s still warm.

The reason pecan pie needs to be refrigerated is that bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

The growth of bacteria in food can lead to foodborne illness and food poisoning. Placing the pecan tart in the refrigerator, below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, will inhibit the rapid growth of bacteria and allow the tart to keep longer.

You can keep heating the pie whenever you want to eat it, but only heat as much as you need, as the pie should not be reheated more than once.

How long can pecan tart be refrigerated?

The pecan tart is tougher than many other tarts. Meringue or chiffon tarts cannot last more than a day or two in the fridge.

Walnut tart, on the other hand, can last up to four days in the fridge if stored properly. However, if you want to keep the pecan tart for longer, you will need to freeze it.

How to refrigerate pecan tart

Knowing how to properly refrigerate and store pecan pie will allow it to stay fresh longer, giving you more time to enjoy your pecan pie.

Once the pecan tart has baked, it should be refrigerated if you won’t be eating it within 2 hours.

• Let the pecan tart cool on a safe surface, and wait until it has cooled to room temperature. You should not let it cool for more than two hours before refrigerating it.
• Keeping it in the pie pan, cover the pecan pie loosely with a layer of aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Be careful not to wrap the cake too tightly or apply too much pressure , as this can ruin the shape and texture of the cake.
  • If you don’t have plastic wrap or aluminum foil, you can place a plate upside down on top of the pie. However, this does not work well in smaller fridges as it takes up more space than just wrapping the cake.
• The walnut tart can be kept fresh, wrapped in the fridge, for up to 4 days.

You can eat the pecan tart straight from the fridge or reheat it for up to 15 minutes in a preheated 325 degree Fahrenheit oven.

Can pecan tart be frozen?

If you are not going to eat the pecan tart in 4 days, you can freeze it. You can freeze the whole pie, a slice of the pie, or individual slices.

When freezing a pecan tart, you want to make sure that it is fully cooked. It is not necessary to alter or shorten the cooking time to allow for freezing.

Not cooking pecan tart completely before freezing it can cause it to have an unpleasant consistency.

Here’s how to make pecan tart for freezing:

• Let the tart cool completely , placing it on a wire rack at room temperature until completely cool. If the pie has not cooled completely, moisture could collect on the surface of the pie, which could cause freezer burn or a soggy crust when the pie is reheated.
• Wrap the pie in aluminum foil or plastic wrap (or an airtight pie container like this one) before popping it in the freezer. You will have to keep the surface of the cake away from contact with the air. Wrap the entire cake to make sure there are no gaps in the wrapper that allow air to enter.
• As the tart will be exposed to very low temperatures in the freezer, it is a good idea to wrap it twice . You can use aluminum foil or plastic wrap for the second layer, or place the tart in a freezer-safe storage bag.
• If frozen properly, pecan tart can last in the freezer for up to 2 months. It will be edible later, but there is a greater chance of freezer burn, or ice crystals forming that deteriorate the quality of the pecan pie.

To reheat the cake , you can let it defrost overnight in the fridge. You can then heat it in a preheated oven at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 20 minutes.

Storage Tips

Here are other storage tips to keep your cake as fresh as possible for longer:

• • If you put the pecan tart in the fridge, you risk the crust getting mushy. To try to avoid this, you must keep it well covered and at a constant temperature . Covering the pie tightly and not letting any more air or moisture into the pie will prevent the crust from getting too soggy.
  • If you can keep pecan tart frozen in a freezer, you should go for it.  A traditional freezer attached to the fridge usually has more temperature fluctuations when opening and closing the door.
  • If you plan to eat smaller portions of the pie, it may be a good idea to freeze individual servings . To do this, you must cut the cake into slices and let them cool. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and place all the pieces in a freezer bag. This way, you don’t have to defrost the whole cake just to enjoy a piece.
  • You cannot prepare the cake and freeze it or refrigerate it to bake it later. Pecan tart contains egg, and when refrigerated or frozen and thawed, the egg curdles and does not result in a well textured tart when baked. For this reason, it is best to bake the tart first and then freeze or refrigerate it.

Related questions

How long does pecan tart keep at room temperature?

The walnut tart should only be left at room temperature for a maximum of 2 hours . You will need to eat the pecan tart within that time or allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the freezer or fridge to keep it longer.

Since the pecan tart contains eggs, it cannot be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Store-bought pecan tarts can last out of the fridge a bit longer, as they are made with preservatives and other ingredients that help the tart have a longer shelf life.

What pies need to be refrigerated?

As a general rule, cakes containing eggs should be refrigerated. This includes cream, cream, pumpkin, mousse, walnut or any other tarts that contain eggs or dairy products. These tarts should be allowed to cool and then placed directly in the fridge or freezer to keep them longer.

How do you know if a pecan tart has gone bad?

To tell if a pecan pie has gone bad, you’ll need to smell and look at the pie. Throw away any cake that looks strange or smells unpleasant. Check for mold, as this is a sure sign that the cake is well past its expiration date.

Should pecan tart be served hot?

Many people prefer pecan pie to be served warm, but pecan pie curdles when cooled, and is much more enjoyable when fully curdled. However, this is entirely up to personal preference.

Refrigerate the walnut tart

If you want your walnut cake to last more than a day, you will have to put it in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. Be sure to cover the pecan pie completely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to ensure no additional moisture or air enters the pie, which could cause the crust to become soggy.

If you want to keep the pecan tart fresh for longer, you can also choose to freeze it, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer bag.

Freezing the pie in smaller portions means you don’t have to thaw the entire pecan pie just to enjoy a piece.