The Super Smart Store-Bought Pie Crust Trick We Wish We’d Known About Sooner

I recently made several homemade pies to test out the viral Kool-Aid pie trend that's all over TikTok right now. And by "homemade" I mean I bought a pie crust and filled it with the ingredients, which is about as close to making homemade pies as I get in the summertime when it's too hot to bake.

When I opened the package, I had to remove a plastic piece that protected the graham cracker crust. I made sure not to toss the plastic in the trash because I knew how this piece could be used once it was removed. I didn't know because I'm smarter than the average bear—it's all thanks to social media.

I've seen many creators demonstrate this trick and I was recently reminded about how smart it is by food writer and @didntijustfeedyou co-founder @meghan_splawn, who just shared it on Instagram as a PSA for folks who aren't in the know.

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Meghan said that the plastic is there to protect the pie crust when it's in the store, but when you fill the crust with your pie filling, you can flip the plastic piece upside down and use it as a cover for your pie. Just place it on top and then crimp the aluminum edges around the lid to lock it in place.

While some people commented that this should be common sense, others said that we should just be happy that people are learning something.

"I'm glad some people are learning this. We need a world where people aren't scolded for things they don't know. We did not all grow up learning the same things," someone said. This is true, and I can't say that I would have known to use that plastic piece as a cover if I hadn't seen it on social media. My great-grandmother and grandmother always made homemade pie crusts, and I don't recall my mom or aunts ever making a homemade pie of any kind, so I never saw someone use a store-bought pie crust.

"Thank you for this!!!" someone else said and another person commented that they were "mind blown."

"I had no idea but how are we almost 40 just figuring it out ?? thanks for the tip, as always," someone else chimed in. It's just another reminder that things that might be second nature to you might be news to someone else, which is one of the best things about social media. Sharing is caring, people!

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