Peaches need care in their growing, their storage, their transportation, and in their baking. Bakers may not be able to control how peaches are grown, stored, or transported, but they can control how they are cooked. One of my favorite ways to cook with peaches is this lovely Peach Pie where it combines two layers of pastry with fresh peaches. The other ingredients added to the peach filling are a little sugar for sweetness, a splash of lemon juice to keep the peaches from discoloring, a pinch of salt, a dab of butter, and a few tablespoons of tapioca to thicken the peach’s sweet juices. What could be more perfect on a warm summer’s night than a slice of this pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream?

The two important components in fruit pies, are a crust with good flavor and texture, and excellent tasting fruit. For me, nothing beats Pate Brisee (a short crust pastry) that is made from a mixture of flour, sugar, salt, cold unsalted butter, and ice water. It has a high ratio of fat to flour which gives the pastry its crisp and crumbly texture and buttery flavor. It is easily made in your food processor and is quite easy to handle. Just be sure to flour both your work surface and rolling pin to prevent the pastry from sticking, and keep turning the pastry as you roll it out so it has uniform thickness.

As I said above, a fruit pie must also start with good quality fruit. The first thing you need to know is that there are two types of peaches, ‘Clingstone’ and ‘Freestone’, with many varieties within each classification. The names (Clingstone and Freestone) refer to how easily the flesh of the peach separates from its stone. The Clingstone (available in late spring/early summer), is exactly that, the flesh clings stubbornly to the central stone or pit. Freestones (available late summer) have a flesh that is easily separated from the stone, which makes it my personal preference. When buying peaches, smell and feel each peach. The peach should smell like a peach and feel firm, yet have a slight give when you press gently on its shoulders. Make sure there are no bruises, cuts, or soft patches on the peaches. The amount of red blush on a peach is a sign of its variety, not its ripeness. Peaches will not ripen or become sweeter after they are picked but they will soften and become juicier in a day or two if left at room temperature. Once ripe, they can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

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