Anonymous wrote:Why can't it be room temp? Cooked pies don't need to be chilled.

Homemade pumpkin pies usually contain eggs and no preservatives and do need to be refrigerated.

Last year I brought a couple of pumpkin pies on a road trip that involved an overnight stay. I packed a cooler with dry ice from Harris Teeter and it worked beautifully. I actually had to Jerry rig the cooler with insulation between the dry ice and pies or they would have frozen. It worked very well.

Traveling for 7 hours I would probably use ice packs instead.

Why can't it be room temp? Cooked pies don't need to be chilled.

I haven't tried this but did some research and saw lots of horror stories about soggy crusts, cracking/separating filling, etc. to make me not want to try it. Decided to make my crusts ahead of time, mix the spices, and take my pie plates and everything else to mix at my grandmother's house early that morning. That might not be an option for you, though!

Honestly, it would probably be fine just making it and taking it at room temperature, but I'm always nervous about egg dishes. A pecan pie or chocolate chess pie probably would be a better choice for something to make ahead of time since I feel better about keeping those room temp and have also had them thawed from frozen.

I wish people didn't expect those traveling from far away to bring anything besides drinks or plates!

I am traveling with a pumpkin pie for 7 hours the day before T-giving. Should I freeze it or just keep it chilled?