So, I decided I absolutely needed a peach pie the other day. You know how those cravings hit. And yeah, I went straight for the canned peaches. Fresh is nice and all, but sometimes you just want pie without the whole rigmarole of peeling and pitting. Plus, let’s be honest, good fresh peaches aren’t always around, or they cost a fortune.
My Whole Canned Peach Pie Process
First up, the crust. I know, I know, homemade crust is “the best.” But who has the time, really? I grabbed a pack of those ready-made refrigerated pie crusts. Two of ’em. One for the bottom, one for the top. Easy peasy. I just unrolled the first one and pressed it into my pie dish. No shame in my game.
Then, the star of the show: the canned peaches. I got two big cans of sliced peaches in light syrup. The most crucial step here, and I can’t stress this enough, is to drain them really, really well. I dumped them into a colander and let them sit there for a good while, probably a good 15-20 minutes, just dripping away. Soggy pie bottoms are the worst, truly.
Once they were drained, I put the peaches into a big bowl. Here’s roughly what I tossed in with them. I don’t measure super precisely, mostly just wing it:
- A bit of sugar, maybe half a cup? Canned peaches are already sweet, so you don’t need a ton.
- Some all-purpose flour, a few tablespoons, to help the filling thicken up.
- A good dash of cinnamon. Love cinnamon with peaches.
- A tiny pinch of nutmeg. Just a whisper.
- Sometimes I add a squeeze of lemon juice if I have it, brightens it up, but I skipped it this time.
I just gently mixed all that together. You don’t want to mash the peaches, just get them coated.
Then I spooned that peachy mixture right into the crust-lined pie dish. Spread it out evenly. Popped the second crust on top. I’m not fancy with top crusts. No fancy lattice work for me – tried it once, looked like a mess. I just laid it over, crimped the edges with a fork to seal it, and cut a few slits in the top so steam could escape. Basic, but it works.
Into the oven it went. I think I baked it at around 375°F, maybe 190°C? For about 45 to 55 minutes. I just kept an eye on it until the crust was nicely golden brown and you could see the filling bubbling through the slits. The whole kitchen started smelling incredible. That’s always a good sign.
And honestly? It turned out great. Super comforting. Served it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Perfection. It wasn’t a showstopper pie you’d enter into a county fair, but it was delicious and hit the spot. And it was so much less stressful than fussing with fresh fruit and homemade dough.
It’s funny, because I remember this one time I tried to make an apple pie completely from scratch for a dinner party. Hours of work. The crust was a disaster – it shrunk, it tore. The filling was too watery. I was so frustrated. Everyone was polite, but I knew it was a dud. After that, I kind of shied away from pies for a while. This canned peach pie thing, though? It’s brought pies back into my life. Sometimes simple is just better, you know? Less fuss, more enjoyment. That’s my philosophy these days.
