The Only Reason to Turn on the Oven in the Summer
Truth is, summer is not always the best time to make a pie. To begin with, making pie crust is all about maintaining the chill, which is nearly impossible to do in a hot summer kitchen. And pies often need 45 to 60 minutes in the oven to bake. Who wants their oven going for an hour in the middle of August? Can’t we just eat Popsicles and watermelon for dessert and call it done?
Well, no we can’t. Why not? Peaches is why not!
Peaches and strawberries and blueberries and all the berries, plus cherries and plums and nectarines, that is. Plus all combinations and variations, of course, including the addition of rhubarb. So while it will most certainly heat up the kitchen, summer isn’t summer without summer pie.
But you don’t have to suffer the heat in order to have a delicious homemade pie. A few hints to make things easier are as follows:
- Bake your pies in the cooler evening hours, which will allow your kitchen to cool back down overnight.
- Put everything — butter, flour, mixing bowl, etc. — in the freezer for half an hour before making the crust.
- Try a no-bake version of pie, with crumb crust, crème fraîche, and fresh berries.
- If you can’t bring yourself to make pie in 90°F weather, prep and freeze summer fruit for pie making on cooler days.
Eat Your Pie
- What’s Your Favorite Summer Pie?
- Our 15 Best Tips for Making Perfect Pies
- Recipe: No-Bake Cream Cheese Pie with Summer Fruit
