Peach Pie

Peach pie made with fresh picked peaches rewards the taste buds with the flavor of fresh peaches ripened to perfect sweetness on the tree.  Encased in a light and crispy crust the slightly soft and not too sweet peach filling is perfect for spring in the desert (when our peaches ripen).  Peach pie is the last hurrah before the heat sets in.

Peach Pie

makes 1 pie

1 9- inch pie double crust pie

1 recipe of pate brise pastry unbaked

6 cups (1 ½  pound) fresh peaches , peeled, pitted and sliced

2/3 cup sugar

¼  cup flour

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼  teaspoon salt

1/8  teaspoon nutmeg

3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt and nutmeg.

In a large bowl toss the peaches with the lemon juice and the flour sugar mixture.

Pile fruit into the pie shell.

Cover with top crust, making lattice strips or design of your choice.

Bake for 1 hour until juices are bubbling and the crust is browned.

Cool pie before cutting.

Pate Brise Pastry

Makes top and bottom

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
½ cup ice water (no cubes)

In a food processor:

Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined.

Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.

With the machine running, add water in a slow, steady stream until mixture just begins to hold together.

Shape dough into 2 disks. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour to 2 days (or freeze for up to 1 month; thaw in refrigerator before using.

Peach Jam

I love peaches and peach jam is the perfect way to preserve that fresh picked flavor.  I find that peach jam can be too sweet especially with hand picked peaches but that is fixed easily by adjusting the sugar.  Adding cinnamon and ginger makes this jam special and when I defrost a container in January, it is fresh and tasty. The jam defrosts nicely in the refrigerator without any changes to the texture.

Peach Jam

About 4 pounds fresh peaches

¼ cup lemon juice

3 - 4 cups granulated sugar depending on the sweetness of your peaches

if you would like a spiced peach jam add:

2 cinnamon sticks or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 ¼ pieces cut from fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon of ground ginger

adjust spices to your tastes

Peel peaches, pit, and cut into chunks or rough process through the food processor for a smoother jam.

You can at this point boil water, prepare and ice bath, cut an x in the bottom of your peaches and run them through the boiling water then to the ice bath and you should be able to slip the skins off.

I prefer to peel the peaches with a knife close to the skin.

In a medium saucepan, stir together peaches, sugar, lemon juice and spices if using.

Bring peaches to a boil and boil until thickened and the jam is set.

Skim foam as needed.

Place in freezer containers or glass containers for the refrigerator.

You could can the jam at this point.

Ready for the freezer