Today, April 22, is Earth Day! People all around the world will be stepping outside and heading to their favorite outdoor spot to enjoy good food in the company of great people.

There will be picnics all around the world, so several of my friends thought it would be fun to have a “virtual picnic”, since we are all spread out across the country!  We may not be able to eat together, but we can all share the food we love together!

Each of us is “bringing” our favorite picnic dish.  Be sure to see the list at the bottom of this post and visit all the other wonderful ladies participating!

It’s no secret that I LOVE pie!  So naturally when I think picnic, I think of pie! I thought single serve, pie in a jar would be even more perfect!

I’ve been drooling about Pie in a Jar since I first saw it on , Our Best Bites. Can you believe I went to three local stores and could not find the exact same jars they used.  So I picked up the 1/2 pint Ball jars that I used when I made cinnamon honey butter, they were a bit shorter and more squatty, but oh so cute, and they worked just as well.

1/2 pint wide mouth canning jars

Find the right jars:

Just be sure to get an 8 ounce wide mouth jar.  If at all possible, get these jars.  It will be easier when you line them with the pie crust, and if you want to remove them from the jar to serve (I think they’re cute served in the jar).

Don’t for get to wash and sterilize your jars.

Pie in a jar

Pie Dough

Using your favorite pie crust, fill the bottom of each jar with pie crust by pressing the crust on the bottom and then up the sides (this is the part that would be much easier with the correct jars – the jars I used were cute and curvy = harder to press into all the little ).  Be sure to leave about 1/2 inch of pie crust past the edge of the jar if you plan to put a top crust on your pie.

If making pie crust if not your forté, you can use refrigerated pie crust like I did. I only got 2 pies out of one crust.  So plan according to how many pies you are making.  2 crusts come in a box, if you roll it out a bit you could probably get 5-6  jars lined with one box of pie crust.

Pie Filling

Whether you favorite pie filling is apple, cherry, pumpkin or rhubarb, any will do! The possibilities are endless.  I will be honest though, I took the lazy easy route again, and just used canned pie filling.  You can too, I wont tell {wink}.  Fill jars about 3/4 full with pie filling.  Add a little flour if your filling is extra juicy, and if you’re feeling like Paula, throw a small pat of buttah on top of the filling.

Pie in a Jar Pie crustTop Crust

I ran out of crust to fully cover the top of my jars, so I used a mini heart cutter to cut out little hearts from the remaining dough I had.  Brush with a little egg and sprinkle with some sugar.

Pie in a Jar Pie crustPress down extra crust and crimp with fork, then place your pretty cut outs on top.

Pie in a Jar Pie crust

Freeze or Bake

Aren’t they gorgeous?!……Now, the really great part, you can stop right here, put the lids on tight and place in the freezer! When you’re ready to eat,  pop into the oven!  Just place frozen jars on a baking sheet, remove the lids and put in cold oven.  Turn oven on 350° and  bake frozen pies for 45-50 minutes.

To bake refrigerated pies (or right after making);  preheat oven to 400° and bake for about 35-45  minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

Pie in a jar Virtual Earth Day Picnic

Serve

I think they look adorable served right out of the jar, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!  Perfect for a picnic!

Gifting

Pie in a jar would also make a great gift, or would be perfect for bake sales and fund raisers!   Just decorate lids with a piece of fabric, scrap paper, jar label or even just a bit of ribbon!  Our Best Bites shares many crust options and gifting ideas, and Lollychops has created the perfect pie tags with cooking instructions!

Fill your virtual plate with all of other great picnic dishes:

Virtual Picnic

Simple Bites | Pressed Sandwiches
My Baking Addiction | Mixed Berry Cheesecakes in a Jar
Bluebonnets & Brownies | Nanny’s Potato Salad
Gourmande in the Kitchen | Honey Ginger Lemonade
Dine & Dish | Sangria
Add A Pinch | Herbed Tortellini Salad
Bakers Royale | Fruit Recipe Roundup
Three Many Cooks | Black and White Caviar
Food for My Family | Homemade Potato Chips and Avocado Ranch Dip
Sugarcrafter |Apple Hand Pies
Tickled Red | Tangy Potato Salad
What’s Cooking with Kids | Kale Chips
Confessions of a Cookbook Queen | Mini Lemonade Cakes
TidyMom | Picnic Pies in a Jar

I’m sharing this post at Get Your Craft On and Thirty Handmade Days, Southern Hospitatlity; Summer Recipes


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