The Topic: Saving Seasonal Fruit
The Dish: You know what are super delicious and starting to pop up everywhere? Peaches. While these babies are perfect just the way they are—or with a little sugar sprinkled on top—there's something to be said for an amazing peach pie, topped with vanilla coconut ice cream. The downside? Baking in the summer heat sucks. The solution? Make friends with the freezer.
While it's a tried and true trick to toss excess seasonal fruits and veggies in the freezer to use later, my Nona recently shared her new favorite method of freezing summer fruit, which guarantees a quick, delicious dessert anytime you want it. Since peaches are the ticket right now, she's decided to save up a few pie's worth for later. Here's her method:
- Lightly grease a pie plate, and fill with sliced peaches, about 1 inch above the top of the dish. Sprinkle with sugar and 1/2 cup of flour. Stir until well combined.
- Gently press peaches into dish until evenly distributed, wrap in foil, and freeze. Once completely frozen, remove fruit from pan (in one piece) and place in a freezer bag. Depending on how many pre-made pie fillings you make, they'll stack neatly on top of each other, ready to go at a moment's notice.
Ta da! You have instant pie filling, without pouring anything from a can. Buying in-season fruit is certainly healthier and cheaper than that gelatinous canned stuff.
The Final Word: To prepare a perfect peach pie, use your favorite vegan crust recipe (or store-bought pastry). Line a pie pan with dough, drop in your filling, top with another layer of crust, and bake. Enjoy!
