Summer is finally freakin’ here and it’s time to LET LOOSE for a change. Maybe rearrange that rigid schedule, leave work a tad bit early, enjoy late dinners, or experiment in the kitchen with a few healthy alternatives to your summer faves — like a big, fat juicy peach pie!

To help you get there, we’re going to share 3 essential parts to a “healthy” take on this summer favorite:

1. Peel the darn peaches. You don’t have to, but peach skins in peach pie (although fibrous and nutritious) can taste bitter. Not to worry. In this post we’ll show you how to peel a peach with little effort.
2. Re-think your peach filling. In the next post, Healthy Peach Pie, we’ll show you how to reduce some of the unnecessary sugar and replace corn starch thickeners with ground chia seeds.
3. Make a crust that is easy, yummy, and with less butter. Pie crust doesn’t have to be fussy or overly loaded with man-made margarine or butter. Save the super fatty stuff for special occasions at your local french bakery. In this Easy, Gluten-Free Pie Crust recipe, we’ll share our invention that we use whenever we bake pies.

This is a trick my mom taught me when I was 7 years old.
Secretly, it’s been one of those priceless skills and memories that keeps on giving.

1. Select a ripe peach. Not firm or mushy, but juicy and tender! Then rinse them under cool water.
2. Prepare a large ice bath and set aside.
3. Boil water and reduce to a simmer, then place your peaches into the water for about 45 seconds to 1 minute.
4. Remove with a spoon and immediately drop into the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
5. Using a paring knife, make a sliver in the peach and peel back the skin either using your finger or the blade of the knife.
6. If the skin does not remove easily, place it back into the boiling water for ~30 seconds and repeat.
7. Carefully slice the peaches and enjoy over a salad, plop them into a freezer for smoothies, add them to a muffin recipe, or try our Healthy Peach Pie (in a jar) recipe here.

And for all of you that know about PEACH FUZZ. We’re paying homage to ol’ school, good vibes. ENJOY!