How to store pie crust
Best place: the fridge. USDA gives pie crust a fridge time tied to the package date and no pantry time, so it belongs in the fridge as soon as you get home. The freezer gives 2 months.
No guideline
Use by the package date
2 months
best quality within
How to tell pie crust has gone bad
General signs for baked goods: refrigerated dough, the group USDA lists pie crust under.
- Container or tube bulging or the seal has popped
- Grey or off-colour patches on the dough surface
- Sour, yeasty or alcohol-like smell instead of a mild one
- Slimy or unusually sticky texture on the outside
- Visible mould spots, often blue-green or white
More on baked goods: refrigerated dough. The times above are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.
Storage habits that make the difference
Keep refrigerated dough cold at all times and return it to the fridge promptly after use, since raw dough with eggs or dairy is not safe left at room temperature. Freeze unused portions in a sealed bag or container, and thaw in the fridge rather than on the counter before baking.
How to store other baked goods: refrigerated dough
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). How we decode the data.