The tapioca will thicken the juices without adding flavor. You can use it whole, but it’s better to grind it to a powder first so that you don’t end up with little balls of gel. Make sure to use minute tapioca which is already partially cooked.
1 recipe All-Butter Pie Crust
3 1/2 lbs peaches (approximately 5 large, 7 medium or 8 small)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from about half a regular lemon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons minute tapioca
Preheat oven to 425F.
Peel peaches and slice into 1/3″ thick slices. Yield should be approximately 6 cups. (Note: You can try making a small x on the bottom of each peach and dropping it in boiling water for 2 minutes. Then plung into ice water. For riper peaches, this will help the skin peel right off. I used a vegetable peeler instead because it ended up being just as fast.)
Place the peaches in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice. In a separate bowl, stir together remaining ingredients until evenly mixed. Add to peaches and toss to evenly coat.
Pour peaches and any juices that escaped into the prepared pie crust. Cover with top crust and slice several slits or create a lattice and crimp edges.
Brush with an egg wash of 1 egg white plus 2 Tbsp of water. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake for 20 minutes then reduce heat to 375F and bake an additional 30-40 minutes until filling is bubbling and crust is golden. Cover loosely with foil if crust begins to brown too much.
Cool for at least 3 hours before serving to allow pie to set up.
Kitchen Calculation 