Description
This Easy Peach Tea recipe is a refreshing, delightful summer drink combining the natural sweetness of ripe peaches with robust black tea, enhanced by a splash of fresh lemon juice. Perfectly sweetened and served chilled over ice, it’s an ideal beverage to cool down on warm days.
Ingredients
Scale
Peach Syrup
- 4 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
Tea
- 8 cups water, divided
- 6 black tea bags or 6 teaspoons loose leaf black tea
Additional
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Ice, for serving
- Optional garnishes: peach slices, mint sprigs, lemon wedges
Instructions
- Prepare Peach Syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine the sliced peaches and granulated sugar. Gently stir to coat the peach slices with sugar.
- Rest the Mixture: Let the peach and sugar mixture sit for about 30 minutes at room temperature to allow the peaches to release their juices.
- Simmer Peaches: Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Cook Peaches until Soft: Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the peaches are very soft and the mixture thickens slightly into a syrup.
- Mash Peaches: Use a potato masher or the back of a spoon to gently mash the softened peaches in the saucepan.
- Strain Syrup: Place a fine-mesh sieve over a heatproof bowl, pour the peach mixture through it, pressing down with a spoon to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard or save the peach solids for another use.
- Cool Syrup: Allow the peach syrup to cool completely before use. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week if not using immediately.
- Boil Water for Tea: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a kettle or saucepan.
- Steep Tea: Place the black tea bags or loose leaf tea in a tea infuser into a heatproof pitcher or teapot. Pour the boiling water over the tea and steep for 3-5 minutes for desired strength.
- Remove Tea Bags: Remove tea bags or infuser, gently squeezing to extract all flavor. Let the brewed tea cool to room temperature or chill in the refrigerator to speed the process.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large pitcher, mix the cooled tea with the cooled peach syrup.
- Add Lemon Juice: Stir in the fresh lemon juice to add brightness and balance the sweetness.
- Add Cold Water: Pour in the remaining 4 cups of cold water and stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the tea and adjust sweetness or tartness as preferred by adding more peach syrup, sugar, or lemon juice.
- Chill: Refrigerate the peach tea for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Serve: Fill glasses with ice, pour the chilled peach tea over the ice, and garnish with peach slices, mint sprigs, and lemon wedges if desired.
Notes
- Adjust sugar quantity according to the ripeness of the peaches and your sweetness preference.
- For stronger tea flavor, steep black tea for the full 5 minutes.
- Save the strained peach solids to add to yogurt, oatmeal, or smoothies.
- This tea can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor; bottled lemon juice may alter the taste.
