Canned peaches can be a quick and convenient way to make cobbler, but they tend to release a lot of extra juice during baking which can make your cobbler soggy. Luckily, there are a few easy ways to thicken up canned peaches so your cobbler filling sets up nicely and your biscuit topping stays crispy.
Use Cornstarch
One of the simplest ways to thicken up canned peach filling is by using cornstarch. Cornstarch is an easy to find thickener that dissolves smoothly into fruit fillings. Here’s how to use it:
- Drain the juice from a 29 oz can of peach slices into a small saucepan. You should have around 1 1/4 cups of juice.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth.
- Add the cornstarch mixture to the peach juice in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until bubbly and thickened to the consistency of a thick syrup, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the drained peaches. Let cool slightly before using as a cobbler filling.
The cornstarch thickens up the excess peach juice so that it sets up into a nice syrupy consistency when cooled rather than being watery. You can play around with the amount of cornstarch you use – 2 tablespoons works well for a 29 oz can but you may need slightly more or less depending on the brand of peaches.
Simmer to Reduce
Another option is to simmer the canned peach juice over medium heat to reduce it down to a syrupy consistency. Here’s how:
- Drain the juice from the can of peaches into a saucepan. You should have around 1 1/4 cups juice.
- Bring the juice to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Let it simmer, uncovered and undisturbed, for 15-20 minutes until reduced down to about 1/2 cup.
- Remove from heat and add in the drained peaches, stirring gently to coat them in the thickened syrup.
Reducing the peach juice concentrates the natural sugars, which helps thicken it up into more of a syrup. Be sure to let it simmer gently undisturbed so it can reduce properly. Keep an eye on it towards the end to prevent burning.
Use ClearJel
ClearJel is a modified cornstarch product that is optimized for making smooth, long-lasting fruit fillings. Here’s how to use it:
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of ClearJel with 2 tablespoons of cold water until dissolved.
- Drain the juice from a 29 oz can of peaches into a saucepan. Stir the ClearJel mixture into the juice.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until bubbly and thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the drained peaches. Let cool slightly before using in your cobbler.
ClearJel creates a nice glossy, clingy texture that is perfect for fruit cobblers. It helps prevent the peach filling from weeping liquid during baking. Look for it near the canning supplies in the grocery store.
Mix with Tapioca
Tapioca is another excellent cobbler thickener. Use it alone or pair it with cornstarch for extra thick peaches:
- Drain the juice from the peaches into a bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of quick-cooking tapioca over the juice and let sit for 5 minutes.
- In a saucepan, whisk together the juice and bloomed tapioca along with 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
- Cook over medium heat until bubbly and thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the drained peaches. Let cool before using in your cobbler.
The tapioca gives the filling a unique texture while also helping thicken it up. Letting it bloom in the juice first prevents clumping.
Add a Slurry
A slurry is a starch and liquid mixture that can be stirred into a fruit filling at the end of cooking to instantly thicken it. Use it in addition to other thickeners for extra thickness:
- In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until smooth.
- Drain the peaches, reserving the juice. Simmer the juice to reduce slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Return the peaches and reduced juice to the saucepan. Stir in the cornstarch slurry. Cook for 1-2 more minutes until thickened.
The slurry will continue to thicken as the filling cools so don’t over thicken initially. This works well when you want bright fresh peach flavor without over-cooking the fruit.
Toss with Flour
For a quick and easy method, you can toss the drained peaches in a bit of flour before making your cobbler. The flour will absorb some of the excess juice released during baking. Here’s how:
- Drain the juice from a 29 oz can of peaches.
- Add the drained peaches to a bowl along with 2-3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.
- Gently toss the peaches to coat them in the flour.
- Use as filling for your cobbler, no need to pre-cook.
This doesn’t create as thick of a filling as other methods, but it can help prevent the base getting soggy. Be sure to gently coat the peaches without breaking them up too much.
Let Raw Peaches Macerate
For a from-scratch cobbler, you can buy raw peaches and prepare them yourself. Letting sliced raw peaches macerate with sugar will coax out their juices and naturally thicken them. Here’s how:
- Peel, pit, and slice 5-6 fresh peaches. You need about 6 cups.
- In a bowl, gently toss the peach slices with 1/4 cup sugar.
- Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, gently stirring occasionally.
- Use the juicy peach slices as the filling for your cobbler.
The sugar will draw moisture out of the peaches and dissolve to make a syrupy juice. Macerating is ideal when you want fresh peach flavor.
Conclusion
Canned peaches release a lot of excess juice when baked into cobblers. Luckily, it’s easy to thicken them up for the perfect consistency using cornstarch, ClearJel, tapioca, flour or by reducing the juice. Letting fresh raw peach slices macerate in sugar also naturally draws out their juices. Using one of these easy methods will help prevent your cobbler filling from being runny and watery.