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Refreshing Southern Peach Sweet Tea

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A quick and easy homemade iced tea combining fresh peaches and strong black tea for a sweet, fruity, and refreshing summer drink.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 black tea bags (strong, robust brand like Lipton or Tetley)
  • 3 medium fresh ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (or frozen peaches in off-season)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams), adjust to taste
  • 6 cups water (1.4 liters), divided
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Ice cubes for serving
  • Optional: fresh mint leaves for garnish
  • Optional: peach slices for serving

Instructions

  1. Make the peach syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup (240 ml) water, sliced peaches, and 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until peaches are soft and syrup is fragrant.
  2. Strain the syrup: Using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, strain the syrup into a bowl or pitcher, pressing gently on peach slices to extract all the juice. Discard solids or save for smoothies.
  3. Brew the black tea: In a separate pot, bring 5 cups (1.2 liters) water to a boil. Remove from heat and add 6 black tea bags. Let steep for 5-7 minutes depending on desired strength. Remove tea bags, squeezing gently to extract flavor.
  4. Combine tea and syrup: Add the warm peach syrup to the brewed tea. Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding more sugar or lemon juice if needed.
  5. Chill the tea: Transfer the mixture to a heatproof pitcher. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to fully chill and meld flavors.
  6. Serve: Fill glasses with ice cubes, pour the chilled peach sweet tea over, garnish with fresh peach slices and mint leaves if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

[‘Watch the peach syrup carefully to avoid boiling over.’, ‘Do not over-steep the tea to prevent bitterness; steep 5-7 minutes.’, ‘Sugar dissolves easier in warm syrup; add sweetness before chilling.’, ‘Make ahead and chill overnight for best flavor.’, ‘Use fresh lemon juice for brighter taste.’, ‘Frozen peaches can be used when fresh are unavailable.’, ‘For caffeine-free version, substitute black tea with rooibos or peach-flavored herbal tea.’, ‘Add cinnamon stick or cloves to syrup for a spiced variation.’, ‘Freeze peach slices in ice cube trays for peach-flavored ice cubes.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: Southern Peach Sweet Tea, iced tea, peach syrup, homemade iced tea, summer drink, sweet tea, peach tea, refreshing beverage

Find it online: https://emmayum.com/refreshing-southern-peach-sweet-tea-recipe-easy-homemade-iced-tea-for-summer/