Mom’s Peach Pie

The peach filling in this pie uses fresh peaches and a flour mixture to thicken the sauce. I like to buy freestone peaches vs those that cling to the pit. Some folks swear that cling peaches have more flavor and are more juicy, but trying to peel and slice them is more hassle than it’s worth for me.

Some folks say that Georgia peaches are best, with a close second from Arkansas. But my choice of peach is from Colorado. If you have the opportunity to purchase fresh Colorado peaches, especially Palisade Peaches, be sure to take advantage of this wonderful produce. They are so big, juicy, and sweet, they are #1 in my opinion.

When buying peaches from the grocery store, I like to smell them. It’s said that if it doesn’t smell like a peach, it probably won’t taste like a peach. Or in other words, it may not have much flavor.

If, on the other hand, the peaches have simply not had time to ripen, you may ripen them at home in a paper bag. Place the peaches in a paper grocery or lunch bag and allow them to sit on your counter or table at room temperature for a day or two until they have ripened enough to use. At this point, they should be slightly soft at the touch, and should indeed, smell like a peach.

The crust is made with vegetable shortening, not lard or butter. I’ve been making this pie crust since I was a girl, and it has won a handful of purple ribbons at our county fair. Flaky crust. Golden brown topping with a sugary coating. So yummy!

Plus, it is an easy dough to work with. It comes together nicely to form a ball. Not too sticky, and it won’t fall apart when you’re rolling it out.

More Fruit Pies to Try

Ingredients for Mom’s Peach Pie

(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

Prepare the Filling

In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, and salt.

Peel and slice the peaches. Place in a medium bowl.

Pour the sugar mixture over peaches and gently stir to mix.

Make the Pastry Crust

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour and salt. Add in the vegetable shortening and cut in with a blending fork until crumbly.

To assemble the pie, roll out the dough for the bottom crust on a floured surface the size of your pie plate. Fold it in half and carefully transfer it to a 9″ or 10″ pie plate, allowing the edges to fold over the plate.

Roll out the top crust, again just a bit bigger than your pie plate. Make slits in the crust so your pie can breath.

Remember when you’re rolling out your top crust to add some slits so the filling can breath. The design can be simple or elaborate. It’s your choice. I always make a V in the center with little slits around it. Before I married, I made an elaborate S for my maiden name. 

Transfer the peach filling to the bottom crust. Add bits of butter to the filling. With your fingers, spread cold water around edge of the crust to ensure a good seal.

Fold the dough in half, and carefully position it over the peaches to fit the pie plate.

Remove excess dough by pressing your hands against the top edges of the dough. Crimp edges to seal.

To crimp edges of pie, use your left hand middle or forefinger and thumb to form a U on the inside of the plate. Then press your right hand thumb in the center of the U. This will seal the pie as you continue the crimping pattern around the pie. 

Add a sugar topping, by spreading whole milk over the top crust with your fingers. Then sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar.

You may opt to use decorating sugar for this, but I always just use granulated sugar. Your choice. 

Bake in a preheated oven on the next to bottom rack for 45-50 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Bake the pie on the next to bottom rack in your oven and allow it to bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is a deep golden brown. This should ensure that your bottom crust is cooked through.

Allow the pie to cool for at least an hour before serving.

To ensure that the pie has set up, I like to wait at least 3 hours before serving. If it’s not warm at that point, you can always reheat it in the oven for a few minutes. Room temperature is also good.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. This recipe will serve 8-10 people. I hope you will enjoy my Mom’s Peach Pie as much as we do.

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