By June, peach season is well underway and I’m knee-deep in turning out goodies that pay homage to my favorite sunset-hued, fuzzy stone fruit. From homemade peach ice cream to topping weekend pancakes, fresh peaches are a gift from above.
This luxurious pie is best made with peaches that nearly fall apart on the first bite — the kind with a heady fragrance and so much juice it’s impossible not to dribble nectar down your shirt. It showcases the kind of perfection that can only come from fruit left to linger in the warmth of sunny afternoons until they’re just shy of dropping from the tree on their own.
I’ve been told by peach farmers that if you ever taste a peach that falls to the ground while you’re standing beneath its tree, only then will you know what a peach really tastes like. But you can’t buy those peaches. Those heavenly orbs would never make it to market — not even down the street. They’re gifts for the lucky few who happen to be in the right place at just the right time. That sort of perfection is fleeting. But for this pie, seek out the very best: peak-of-the-season, tree-ripened peaches.
The peaches my neighbors and I covet this time of year come from about three and a half hours north, in Chilton County — the peach capital of Alabama. There, in sandy soil and an exquisitely suited climate, some of the finest peaches you’ll ever taste have been grown for hundreds of years. Thankfully, our local farmers markets receive Chilton County peaches just days after harvest, so no one in my neck of the woods suffers through subpar fruit. From early-season cling varieties, whose flesh holds tightly to the pit, to late-season freestones that slip away cleanly, we enjoy a bounty of peaches all summer long.
At the heart of Chilton County is the city of Clanton. If you’re traveling on I-65 north of Montgomery, you can’t miss it: Exit 212, where a 120-foot-tall, peach-topped water tower — realistically painted and impossible to ignore — beckons you into peach paradise. That’s where you’ll find Peach Park and Durbin Farms Market, both bursting with homemade delicacies that showcase the region’s beloved homegrown peaches.
Every June, Clanton hosts the Peach Festival — now in its 78th year. There’s a Peach Parade, a Peach Pageant (complete with a crowned Peach Queen) and a family-friendly, music-filled outdoor celebration called the Peach Jam Jubilee. Local restaurants set up food trucks, and everything centers on celebrating peaches, farms and the people who grow them.
I had Fresh Peach Meringue Pie there years ago and instantly fell in love. It stands out from other peach pies thanks to its three distinct textures: a crisp crust, lightly baked peaches and a fluffy, tender, toasted meringue.
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I hope I haven’t lost you at meringue. And I hope I don’t trigger you when I say this: making meringue is not hard. Trust me, I know the sting of being told something is “easy,” only to wind up cussing-mad because, sure, it didn’t require calculus — but it was still time-consuming, nerve-racking and deeply frustrating. Meringue is none of those things.
Granted, I have an electric mixer (a must), and I know to add a little acid to my egg whites — cream of tartar, lemon juice or vinegar all work. Maybe I know a few other tricks, too. But I swear: it’s not hard. (Check the Cook’s Notes section for the method, step-by-step.)
Over the years, I’ve made only minor changes to this dessert — adding a dash of almond extract, maybe a squeeze of fresh lime instead of lemon. Just a little something to tickle my fickle taste buds. But the beauty is in its simplicity. When you’ve got cream-of-the-crop peaches, less is best. And this pie presents summer’s perfect fruit with the style and grace I think it deserves.
Ingredients
Regular pie crust of choice, pre-baked to golden brown and cooled.
6-8 fresh ripe peaches
Fresh lemon or lime
1-2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar, about 1/8 tsp
Salt, less than 1/8 tsp
2-3 Tbsp superfine sugar
Directions
- Peel peaches (see Cook’s Notes) and slice thin. Place into a bowl.
- Taste peaches for sweetness and add 1-2 Tbsp sugar and a light squeeze of fresh lemon. Stir gently to combine and set aside for 20-30 minutes.
- Place egg whites in mixing bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of cream of tartar, and whip until stiff. Add powdered sugar (up to 4 Tbsp) a little at a time, beating continuously. (See Cook’s Notes)
- Beat to stiff peaks. Meringue should shine.
- Fill prepared pie shell with sliced peaches—do not add much of the juice—and spread the meringue in swirls over the top, all the way to the edge so that the meringue touches the crust.
- Bake on the lower middle rack about 20 minutes or until meringue is delicately browned. Check on it often.
Cook’s Notes
Best way to peel a peach:
Cut a shallow “X,” just break the skin, across the bottom of each peach. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop peaches in for less than 1 minute. Immediately place in an ice bath. The peels slip right off.
How to make meringue:
- Separate eggs while they are cold, but allow whites to come to room temperature.
- Do not use a plastic bowl and make sure the bowl you use is clean, dry, and totally free of any oily residue.
- Place egg whites in mixing bowl and sprinkle with cream of tartar, about 1/8 tsp for 2 egg whites, plus a tiny bit of salt, less than 1/8 tsp.
- Beat egg whites at medium speed until they begin to thicken and become foamy. Increase to high speed and beat until you can see beater tracks and start to get a sheen. At this point, check to see if they will hold some shape if you lift the beater out (turn mixer off to check for this). You want a soft peak that folds down on itself when you lift the beater.
- At this stage continue beating on medium speed while you add sugar a little at a time. The sugar must be fully incorporated.
- For a two egg white meringue such as this one, you can use up to 4 Tbsp sugar (superfine or powdered works best, but granular okay too), but I prefer 2-3 Tbsp sugar for this pie.
- Once sugar is added, beat high until very stiff peaks: when you lift the beater the peaks hold their shape very well and remain tall.
