My daughters love peaches. It seems lately can’t seem to keep up with the demand. If I buy a basket of peaches, they are all eaten within 24 hours. My two-year-old can lick the pit clean. It is rather impressive, sticky but impressive.
I’ve just learned that today, Aug. 24, is National Peach Pie Day. Obviously, a silly, made up holiday (probably by a peach farmer) but fun anyways. I’ve never made a pie before but I think today might be a good day to start, if my children save some peaches for me to make a pie with.
Apparently yellow peaches are best for pies. The firmer flesh of yellow peaches will soften when baked, but still hold their shape in a pie. I didn’t know there were different varieties. But the white ones will soften and turn to mush while baking. The acidity of yellow peaches is also better for pies because it balances out the sweetness, keeping the pie from being overly sweet.
When making a pie, most recipes recommend keeping the flesh on, just rubbing some of the fuzz off, however some suggest peeling them. It seems like unnecessary step though.
While pies may not be the healthiest thing to eat, peaches are full of nutrients. A peach provides 6 per cent of your daily vitamin A needs and 15 percent of daily vitamin C needs.
However, there are some side effects of eating too many peaches (as my daughters have noticed.) Peaches have natural sugars called polyols, which may not always get along well with your gut bacteria. These sugars may remain undigested in the gut and cause cramps, nausea, and bloating. My daughters have discovered that eating too many can give also give you canker sores. It hasn’t stopped their love of the fruit though.
Here is a recipe that I got handed down from my mother-in-law that I am going to try to bake on National Peach Pie Day.
Ingredients:
5 peaches (diced, peels removed optional)
3/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tbsp butter
1 pastry recipe*
Directions:
Prepare pastry; ine an 8-inch pie plate; reserving some for top crust.
Combine all over ingredients except peaches first in a bowl and then mix in the diced peaches and then place in pie crust.
Add top, making sure to cut in some slices for steam to escape. Seal edges and flute. Bake at 400 F for 40 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.
*Full disclosure, I am going to buy a pie crust.