279374 Sun Aug 21 08:28:03 -0700 2005 7 31 Home Cooking 0 1481240 So, per your advice from last time, I made peach pie again yesterday and reduced the juices beforehand. Big difference! I'm pretty happy with the result now, except the fruit is a touch mushier than I might have liked (the peaches were "ripe but firm".) I wonder if pouring on the hot reduced juice might have cooked the peaches slightly... next time, I think I'm gonna freeze the whole thing for half an hour before baking - that's what I do with apple pie. Carb lover, I have now twice baked the pie with unpeeled peaches, and definitely will continue to. The skins are barely detectable in the finished pie & they give the juices a nice pink cast. The whole peeling process is such a pain in the butt that I'm simply convinced it's not worth it. The only flavorings, except for sugar, are a 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and 1/2 tsp pure almond extract. Delicious. Sun Aug 21 08:28:03 -0700 2005 0 Sir Gawain 1 1481248 That whole "not peeling" idea is very appealing! I wonder if that would work with pears, nectarines, or even apples--anyone tried leaving these fruits unpeeled when baking? Sun Aug 21 10:34:00 -0700 2005 1481240 0 Funwithfood 2 1481258 I'm pro-peel for the flavor, especially with apricots, peaches, plums, apples. It adds a sharp, sometimes bittersweet edge to counter the sweetness. The problems occur when the skin is too thick (can turn tough & leathery) or too fuzzy (peaches). Sun Aug 21 13:44:58 -0700 2005 1481248 0 petradish 3 1481286 I'm using large yellow-fleshed Georgia peaches. The skin is pretty soft, it does have some fine fuzz on it(like velvet), but it really doesn't bother me even when eating the peaches out of hand. Honestly, if you didn't know the skin was there, I don't think you'd notice it in the finished pie. I'd be leery of not peeling apples for pie though; apple skins don't really soften myuch when cooked, in my experience. Sun Aug 21 20:21:18 -0700 2005 1481258 0 Sir Gawain 4 1481295 unpeeled apples in pie is pretty normal down here. I prefer peeled though, but sometimes they get nice and caramelized if they are under a crust vent. If I don't think the peaches are peachy enough - (some years, some varieties at our local Ag college research orchard) I add a touch of coconut extract. Once won a prize doing that. Why did I ever try such a thing? I love Butterfields Peach Buds candy, and those include a touch of coconut. Sun Aug 21 22:23:55 -0700 2005 1481286 0 Betty 1 1481375 Sounds great; thanks for the follow-up on the peels. I'll also try the freezing method. Mon Aug 22 14:10:50 -0700 2005 1481240 0 Carb Lover 1 1481432 bet you're glad that you discovered that the peels of peaches and some other fruits are not going to spoil your pie. we have a gravenstein apple tree and the skin just melts away - never peel them. nectarines have thin skins and they are not a problem either. what a time saver and like you noticed - love that rosy color from the skins. Mon Aug 22 18:25:36 -0700 2005 1481240 0 Gordon Wing 2 1481444 Lucky you! I made my first baked apple (unpeeled) with a gravenstein and it was fabulous. Perhaps it's important to draw a distinction between a fuzzy peach and a hairy one; I've had some homegrown peaches that were rather hirsute! Mon Aug 22 19:14:12 -0700 2005 1481432 0 petradish