Blueberry Peach Pie

Homemade Blueberry Peach Pie Recipe Tips

How to Prevent Watery Fruit Pie Filling

Watery pie fillings are the WORST! They used to happen to me all of the time. Here’s what I’ve learned to prevent it:

1) The more ripe your fruit, the more moisture your filling will have. If your fruit is super moist and juicy you may want to add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch.

2) Macerating the fruit is an extra step but it makes a HUGE difference in preventing watery filling. Macerating basically just means tossing the fruit with the sugar called for in the recipe then letting it sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The sugar will draw moisture out of the fruit so it collects at the bottom of the bowl.

3) Boil the macerated juices into a syrup. This is another extra step that takes more time but is so worth it. Not only does it help ensure a nice thick and luscious filling but it also intensifies the fruit flavors. Strain the fruit and collect those macerated juices into a saucepan. Boil for a few minutes, or until it thickens into a syrup. Let cool before adding back into the filling mixture.

4) Start with a high baking temperature to activate the cornstarch thickening properties. Cornstarch won’t begin to thicken until it’s heated to about 200°F. So you’ll see the recipe below starts at 400°F then once the filling and crust set into place, we reduce the temperature to 375°F to prevent the crust from burning.

The first iterations of this recipe I reduced the temperature from 400°F to 350°F and would end up with a more watery filling and soggy crust. That’s why it’s really important to…

5) Bake your pie completely! It should be deeply golden brown and have an internal temperature of at least 215°F. Underbaked pies will be soggy and watery.

How to Prevent Soggy Pie Bottoms

If you often have problems with your bottom pie crust becoming soggy and losing its crispiness or not holding its shape, there are a few easy fixes. The first is to take the steps above to prevent a watery filling.

Then, try adjusting your oven rack to the bottom position. This will allow the heat element to better cook the bottom crust and develop more browning before too much moisture from the filling penetrates it.

Second step is a bonus but super helpful. Place a  baking stone to that bottom oven rack while the oven preheats then place your pan onto the stone. Again, this will help conduct heat better so that bottom crust gets nice and golden and crispy.

Lastly, be sure not to allow your assembled pie to sit too long before baking. I would only recommend freezing before baking. Don’t let it sit at room temperature or in the fridge. This will allow moisture from the filling to leach out and create those soggy bottoms.

How to Assemble Fruit Pie

Make your pie dough the day before baking the pie. Here’s the recipe for my best ever pie crust, which has ingredient measurements for a double crust pie. Letting the pie dough rest overnight allows the gluten to relax and the starches in the flour to absorb some moisture. This makes the dough MUCH easier to work with. Less springing back and less cracks.

Next step to bring this pie together is to peel and pit your peaches. If they’re really super ripe, you’ll need to use the boil peeling method (YouTube will show you how). Otherwise I usually just use a sharp peeler. Toss your peaches, blueberries, and sugar together and let macerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

While that’s happening, roll out one disk of pie dough into an even circle about 12-inches in diameter and 1/8-inch in thickness. Roll the dough up and onto your rolling pin then unroll onto your pie plate. DO NOT STRETCH THE DOUGH TO FIT! Gently allow it to sink into the shape of the pan. If you stretch, it’ll snap back like a rubber band and shrink while baking. Use scissors to trim the edges to 1-inch overhang. Cover and refrigerate this unbaked pie shell.

Repeat with the second piece of dough, this time cutting into 2-inch strips. You’ll actually need more dough for the lattice so if one disk is bigger than the other, use that one for the lattice. Place the strips of pie dough on a baking sheet and refrigerate.

Boil off the juices from the macerated fruit until syrupy. Let cool. Toss with the fruit and remaining filling ingredients. Fill pie shell with the filling. Arrange lattice topping, making sure to trim the edges of the strips so your border isn’t too thick and heavy that it slumps down.

Freeze for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven. The idea with fruit pie is to start cold then immediately move to hot. Freezing will help the pie keep its shape as it bakes.

How (and why!) to Make a Lattice Top

First let’s address the why. Besides being pretty and impressive, lattice pies are handy for moisture rich fillings like this blueberry peach one. There’s a lot of water content that turns into steam and will need to evaporate as it bakes. Lattice by its design allows that steam to readily escape.

I prefer a more modern lattice with thicker strips of pie dough, but feel free to get creative and do whatever you like. Whatever you do, I’d recommend looking at a lattice pie tutorial on YouTube or Google images. It’s much easier to see how it’s done vs. reading instructions.

Don’t worry if you get tripped up. You can always return your strips of pie dough to the fridge if they get too warm while you figure it out.

How to Make Blueberry Peach Pie Ahead of Time

How to Store Pie Filling

Fruit fillings are perfect for freezing. Make the filling according to the directions. Cover your pie tin with foil. Scoop pie filling into pie tin, cover, and freeze until very firm.

Remove filling and peel off foil. Place frozen block of filling in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 weeks. To serve, place the filling into the same pie tin with prepared crust and follow the recipe to bake. No need to thaw the filling!

How to Store Pie Dough

PIe dough can be shaped into a disk and refrigerated for up to 3 days, as long as it’s well wrapped in plastic. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months, well wrapped in plastic. Defrost in the fridge overnight.

How to Prepare Assembled Pie in Advance

Fridge
Completely assembled unbaked pies should only be refrigerated for a few hours before baking, otherwise you may end up with a soggy crust.

Freezer
Fruit pies freeze better unbaked. Assemble the pie fully, double wrap in plastic, and then freeze for up to 1 month. Let the pie partially thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour, then bake as directed by the recipe, adding about 10 minutes to the baking time.

How to Store Baked Blueberry Peach Pie

Store leftovers wrapped in foil for up to 1 day at room temperature. Or store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 325°F for 5 to 10 minutes if desired. This helps refresh the pie crust so it’s crispy again.