Homemade Peach Iced Tea
This refreshing Peach Iced Tea recipe is a classic drink that's perfect for sipping on spring and summer afternoons. It combines the sweet taste of ripe peaches with the refreshing coolness of freshly brewed tea. Bursting with flavor and served on ice, everyone will enjoy sipping and savoring the sweetness.
Servings 14 cups
Calories 9kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 cups water
- 6 teabags
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups sugar or sweetener
- 2-3 fresh peaches Diced into smaller chunks; 2-3 cups if using frozen.
Instructions
Brew the Tea
- In a large pot, bring 12 cups of water to a boil.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the tea bags. Let the tea steep for 5-7 minutes, depending on your desired strength.
- Once the tea has steeped, remove the tea bags and discard them.
Peach Simple Syrup
- In a saucepan or pot, combine 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 1/2 cup of sweetener or sugar. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar or sweetener is completely dissolved.
- Add the sliced peaches. Mash the peaches into the simple syrup. Allow the peaches to soften (still at medium heat) and steep in the syrup for about 10-15 minutes to infuse their flavor.
Iced Tea
- Once cooled, add the tea to your serving pitcher.
- Use a mesh strainer or cheesecloth and strain the peach simple syrup mixture into a cup/bowl/or directly into your serving pitcher. This way only the peach flavored simple syrup is added to the tea.
- Stir to combine. Taste repeatedly and adjust the sweetness as needed to suit your taste.
- Serve chilled and/or with ice.
Notes
I always use monkfruit instead of table sugar as a sweetener. Feel free to use what you like.
To make a smaller batch you can cut the recipe in half.
To make a larger batch you can double the recipe.
You can use frozen peaches. Just make sure to thaw them before using in the tea.
You should aim to use only ripe peaches in this recipe. Unripe peaches will lack the sweet and juicy flavor that ripe peaches provide. This will result in a bland or less flavorful tea. Unripe peaches are firmer and have a harder texture compared to ripe peaches. They won’t break down or infuse the tea with their flavor as effectively.
I don’t peel the peaches because your peach simple syrup mixture will have to be strained first before adding it to the tea, so there is really no point in doing so. The peel of the peach contains flavor compounds that can contribute to the overall taste of the tea. Leaving the peel on will also enhance the peach flavor and aroma of the tea.
Decide how you like your tea. Do you like really sweet tea or something more subtle? I’m not a fan of super sweet tea so I like to shoot for something in the middle. With that said, you may find that you like a lot more sugar or sweetener than I list in this recipe.
You can save the leftover peach pulp to use in smoothies, salsas, etc.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 9kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g