Probably okay, though they might be dried out a bit, and perhaps won't bake up as nicely. I would bake off one of them, and see how it looks and tastes. If it is okay, then use the other one for the pie. If there is any question, it isn't worth the low price to replace them, imo.

I would buy fresh, but that might just be me. Cooking and baking are too much darn work to have things ruined by $1 worth of year old pastry.

My mother in law would not even think of taking them out of her freezer for another 3-4 years though. She'd still be using the crust from 2005 this year. She is always serving me 5 year old food. The worst was cranberry juice that was all separated and grainy, but it didn't kill me. I did want to throw up when I saw the date on the lid was 2002 and it was already 2006 though.

I use food that is well past the best-by date all the time, but wouldn't chance it for a T-Day dinner, especially when someone's happiness hinges on that dessert. You must be sooooo flattered! I would be. Go to the store and get some fresh pre-made crust.

I used an out-of-freshness-date pie crust and found it was a bit crustier than usual. I mean, it was not as fluffy as it would typically be (now, that's not saying much as frozen pie crust is NEVER as fluffy as homemade). I recently used another fresh one and it didn't get too flakey, but was not as crispy.

Are you using the fold out kind or the already in a pan kind? I've found that the pan kind tend to be better than the fold out kind. Of course, if I REALLY wanted to be a crust Queen, I'd make my moms. My mother can make a killer crust...but everything else...well...kind of like kgwlisa's MIL. It's a wonder we survived the food mom made.

Toss! Those things are only good for a couple months in the freezer.

I'd make my own. Pie crust isn't hard, and there's a PieCrust 101 thread going on the Cooking Forum. I think the difference in taste between homemade and store-bought is huge, and if it tastes great, you can slip in the presentation category and no one will care. Whereas, something that looks amazing and tastes ehhh leaves (heh, heh) a bad taste all around.

Thanks, ladies. I just didn't want to go to the store today, if you know what I mean, UGH! I suppose it is worth getting a new crust for, but I'll check out PieCrust101 first and see if I have the ingredients, and maybe... we'll see.

Thanks again.

I think the difference in taste between homemade and store-bought is huge

I disagree. Those Pillsbury crusts are a pretty good substitute. I have made the Cooks Illustrated vodka crust, but when I want quick I grab the Pillsbury. ;)

My mom was the best pie maker in the world, no kidding. She was famous for her crusts. They were always perfect. Never soggy or tough. I tried to learn from her but she never used a recipe and always made 8 to 10 pies at once. I don't have patience for that.

Pillsbury is loved at my house. I always buy an extra crust because I cheat, adding more dough to the rim, making it look homemade. I never say it isn't homemade but I don't say it isn't either. (I'm bad!)

Greenthumb, read this thread when you get a chance.

Here is a link that might be useful: an ode to the red box

Those Pillsbury pie crusts are the bomb. I'm pretty picky about buying processed foods and usually avoid doing so. These crusts are the best. Better than some people's "home made" crusts.

But, when they get old in the freezer they get tough, and pick up freezer taste. I would toss those.

Hoping you tossed them and went to the store. I might fudge a month on something like that but a year is out of the question.

And if you get some time next week, find a great and easy piecrust recipe and give it a whirl. It does take a light touch but it's not that big of a deal.

Red

My mom makes the best piecrusts in the world - with lard, of course - light and flaky and delish. I have tried the quick recipes with oil in them, and they don't do it for me. I don't mind the combining of the ingredients, but the waiting for it to chill, and the rolling are what get me. She uses a pastry cloth, floured, and has the touch that means she doesn't have to work the dough - she gets it right the first time. I end up re-rolling and working it too much, which makes for a tough crust.

The Pillsbury ones are good (nowhere like hers, but good) and that is worth the time saved imo. No rolling! I use the one for the pumpkin pie, and then cut out leaves and vines from the other one, add some detail to the leaves with the tip of a paring knife, cut the rest into simple squares, dust them with cinnamon sugar, and bake. The leaves and vines decorate the top of the pumpkin pie, and the rest get munched on by DH and our two DS's.

Do you buy the crusts already in the pie tin or the ones you have to put in the pie tin and crimp? The frozen ones are already done and the other kind I have found by the eggs/refrigerator rolls etc.

I bought the kind you have to fit into the pan one time, and they tasted really odd. Plus when I baked them, they shrunk way up - I was putting coconut cream filling in after baking.

I chickened out this year and bought my pumpkin pie from the bakery. I'm making a chocolate cream pie, but am using a premade graham cracker crust!! They always turn out perfect!

natal - I saw that and made a beeline for the store for prepared crusts, LOL!

I probably could have done it myself (my pie didn't require pre-baking the crust), but I'd rather do my first in a testing mode ;-)

I tossed the old and bought new. This time I opted for the frozen, already in a tin kind, cuz I thought if I'm going for easy, I'm going for broke, LOL! Baked it up last night, and it looks like a winner.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!