Description
This Easy Peach Tea recipe is a refreshing and naturally sweetened summer drink made by simmering ripe peaches with sugar to create a luscious syrup, combined with bold black tea and a splash of fresh lemon juice. Perfectly chilled and served over ice, it’s an ideal homemade beverage to cool you off during warm days.
Ingredients
Scale
Peach Syrup
- 4 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
- 8 cups water, divided
Tea
- 6 black tea bags (or 6 teaspoons loose leaf black tea)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 4 cups cold water (for final mixing)
- Ice, for serving
Optional Garnishes
- Peach slices
- Mint sprigs
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Combine Peaches and Sugar: In a medium saucepan, combine the sliced peaches and granulated sugar. Gently stir them together to ensure the sugar coats all the peach slices evenly.
- Let Sit at Room Temperature: Allow the peach and sugar mixture to sit for about 30 minutes to macerate and release juice.
- Simmer the Mixture: Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Cook Until Soft: Continue simmering for 10-15 minutes until peaches are very soft and the mixture thickens slightly into a syrup.
- Mash the Peaches: Use a potato masher or the back of a spoon to gently mash the softened peaches in the saucepan.
- Strain the Syrup: Pour the peach mixture through a fine-mesh sieve over a heat-proof bowl, pressing the solids to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard or reserve solids for another use.
- Cool the Syrup: Let the peach syrup cool completely before using. Store any extra syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Boil Water: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a kettle or saucepan.
- Brew the Tea: Place tea bags or loose leaf tea in a heat-proof pitcher or teapot, pour boiling water over them, and steep for 3-5 minutes depending on desired strength.
- Remove Tea Bags: Carefully remove the tea bags or infuser, squeezing gently to extract additional flavor.
- Cool the Tea: Let the brewed tea cool to room temperature or refrigerate to speed cooling.
- Combine Tea and Syrup: In a large pitcher, mix the cooled black tea with the cooled peach syrup.
- Add Lemon Juice: Stir in freshly squeezed lemon juice to brighten the flavors.
- Add Cold Water: Pour in the remaining 4 cups of cold water and stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the tea and adjust sweetness or tartness by adding more lemon juice or peach syrup as needed.
- Chill the Tea: Refrigerate the peach tea for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Prepare Glasses: Fill glasses with ice cubes for serving.
- Serve and Garnish: Pour the chilled peach tea over ice and garnish with peach slices, mint sprigs, and lemon wedges if desired.
Notes
- You can adjust the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of your peaches and personal preference.
- For stronger tea flavor, steep the tea longer but avoid bitterness by not exceeding 5 minutes.
- Save leftover peach solids to mix into yogurt or oatmeal for added flavor and texture.
- This tea can be stored refrigerated for up to 3 days for best freshness.
- To make this recipe vegan and gluten-free, use pure black tea without additives.
