Peach filling to make ahead and keep so you can enjoy baking with summer peaches longer.
It is wonderful to have peach filling have on hand because it is so versatile and a nice unexpected surprise to have when it is not peach season. Peach filling is also a product that is not easily found frozen or canned.
I love peaches and although you can get pretty much any produce any time, we know it is always best if it is in season in your part of the world.
And peach season is always too short!
How Long does this Peach filling keep?
Keep this peach filling refrigerated for not more than a week (making sure that you use it to bake something with it if you keep it longer). Or freeze well sealed for up to 2 months. So not fairly indefinite like if you canned it yourself, however, it does give you something bright when there have been enough pumpkins and apples.
I have made whole peach pies and frozen them unbaked.
A peach strudel would be nice, but I don’t think I’ll have time while it is peak peach season. I can make the filling and freeze it and use it for anything later!
Using Tapioca Starch or Cornstarch (Cornflour) for Peach filling
Most fruit fillings are thickened with cornstarch which cooks mostly clear and is the probably the most popular and reliable ingredient but it does not freeze well. The filling will separate and release liquid. Some people use flour, which produces even more cloudiness and takes longer to cook, but I use it too, often combined with cornstarch.
Tapioca is used in cherry pies and glazes because it cooks the most clear but its texture can be a bit gluey. But it freezes.
I also noticed that the texture changes in a good way once thawed.
Clear Jel could also be used, but use half the amount of Clear Jel to tapioca. Clear Jel is a cornstarch product, but it can also be frozen.
What Can I use Peach Filling for?
You could use it for topping danish pastry or peach cobbler or a quick fruit crisp. Crisp because since the fruit is already cooked, you just have to heat it and crumble the fruit crisp topping over it. Crumb bars and of course peach pie. you could make a double crust, or a crumb crust, fill it and just top it with custard and cream.
Peeling a Peach
About 3 small or 2 medium peaches after peeling, pitting and cutting will fill about 1 liquid cup, or a 250mL cup.
If you have perfectly ripe agreeable peaches, you might only need a paring knife to pull the thin fuzzy skins off to reveal the juicy beautiful peeled peach. The most consistent and fool proof way would be to boil a large pot of water, leaving enough room to put the peaches in for 30 to 60 seconds.
While the water comes to a boil, prepare a large bowl of water with plenty of ice and room to fit the peaches. It is best done in a couple of batches.
The skins should slip off easily although you might need the aid of a knife. If they don’t, I think I referred to them as buggars somewhere else in my blog.
It happens.
Note!
Hard ripe peaches are good for eating, but the skins will not peel off this way even in boiling water. After cooking, they will still be firm.
If you are using freestone peaches, the part of the peach that was attached to the pit will have a tough stringy bit that I like to remove. If you are using clingstone peaches, you would probably have cut away from it.
I cut each peach into 8 or 12 depending on the size of the peach.
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and let sit for about 15 minutes to soften the tapioca.
Cook, stirring gently to prevent burning on medium high heat as the juices start to release.
Once it starts to bubble, turn the heat down to medium and cook until thick and clear.
As mentioned, sauces thickened with tapioca are a bit gluey. After freezing and thawing the texture is more firm.
Cool completely whether you are going to use it right away or freeze it.
Peach Filling
Ingredients
- 9 medium peaches peeled and pitted (1150g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar (100g)
- 5 Tbsp tapioca starch (42g)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Clean the peaches by removing any stringy bits and cut each peach into 8-12 wedges.
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and let sit for about 15 minutes to soften the tapioca.
- Cook, stirring gently to prevent burning on medium high heat.
- Once it start to boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook until clear and thickened.
- Cool completely, it will continue to thicken as it cools.
