Frozen Fresh Peach (or Apple) Pies

Does dessert get any better than tender peach pie with ice cream? I have a peach obsession, and my only complaint about the fruit is that it’s in season for such a short time during the year. September is my time for all things peach–fresh on cereal, ice cream, or yogurt; baked into crisps and cobblers; and jammed and jarred for the rest of the year. While I enjoy canned peaches, they don’t hold a candle to fresh peach desserts, which is why this pie recipe is so incredible. By freezing the fresh peach pie filling, you can preserve that just-picked flavor to enjoy months later. (Or next week, if you’re like me and can’t wait that long.) That means you can whip out that frozen filling at Thanksgiving, throw it into a crust and bake it, and wow your guests with a stunning and delicious pie, all with minimal prep work on your part. It pays to be prepared.

*(In this 1936 family photo, Florence is pictured with her parents and siblings.*
*From left: Nellie Ross Robinson, children Phyllis, Iris, Florence, and Rondo, and Walter Robinson.)*

My great-grandmother Florence Robinson Beck understood the importance of preparedness, having lived through the Great Depression and two world wars. She was an excellent and prolific cook, and taught cooking classes at Brigham Young University. She also knew how to throw an elegant dinner party, and this pie was one of the tricks she kept up her sleeve for Thanksgiving. Every September, she and her children would make a few of these frozen pies to enjoy during the coming winter months, and when the Thanksgiving rush hit, she would bake a couple of these pies a day in advance and serve them with the dessert spread. Genius. These pies are so good that the recipe has been made and passed down for generations, and it is my personal favorite fruit pie recipe. It’s tender, tangy, and holds up when you slice it (as long as you let it cool completely first), with intense fruit flavor. Paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it is irresistible.

I’ve also substituted apples for the peaches, and the results were sublime. So now we are having peach AND apple pies for Thanksgiving. Here’s the recipe. (In Florence’s version, she made four pies. I’ve scaled it down to just two.)

Frozen Fresh Peach Pies

In a large bowl, combine:

1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp ascorbic acid (or citric acid)
9 cups of sliced peeled fresh peaches
1/3 cup instant tapioca (tapioca is the best fruit pie thickener, but if you can’t find it, you can substitute 2/3 cup of flour)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

To prepare and freeze fillings:

Blend sugar and acid; mix with remaining ingredients. Line two 8-inch metal (not glass) pie pans with aluminum foil, letting the foil extend 5 inches beyond the rims. Evenly distribute filling mixture between the two pans. Fold foil loosely over fillings. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. Seal foil tightly, remove from pans, place in labeled zip-close freezer bags, and return to freezer. Pie fillings may be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

To bake pies:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Adjust the oven racks so the lowest rack is near the bottom, and the upper rack is near the top, since you’ll be baking the pie on the lower rack. (Tip: If you’re only baking one pie and you own a pizza stone, place the pizza stone on the bottom rack before preheating the oven, so you can set the pie onto the hot stone. This helps ensure a better bake on the bottom crust.)

Line two 9-inch pie pans (you want the pans to be a little bigger than the frozen fillings) with pie crust. (You can use your favorite store-bought crust, or make your own.) Unwrap fillings. Do not thaw. Dot each filling with about 1 Tbsp butter. Add top crust; seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top crust for ventilation. (Or apply the top crust in a crosshatch weave pattern.) If desired, brush crust with egg white and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake in 425 degree oven on lower rack for about 1 hour, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden. Check the pies about halfway through, and line the edges of the crust with foil or a pie guard if the edges seem to be browning too quickly.

Cool the pies on a wire rack for at least a few hours before serving so the filling will have time to set completely. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

As you can see, I forgot to line the edges of the crust with a foil ring halfway through baking, and it got a bit too dark when cooking in the center of the oven. Baking the next pie on the lowest rack with a pizza stone resolved this problem without needing to foil the edges, but keep an eye on your crust as it bakes, just in case.

Don’t miss the apple pie variation! Simply substitute sliced peeled apples for the peaches. It is delectable. I add 1 tsp cinnamon when making the filling.