This Peach Tea combines the sweetness of peaches with the refreshment of a good iced tea. Not only that, if you make it at home, it is full of vitamins and antioxidants! And now, you can make it just as good, or even better, at home than you can buy at a fancy restaurant or the store.
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Contents… The Best Peach Tea |
The very first time I tried Starbucks Peach Tea, I knew I had to make this at home. My love affair with peaches is second only to tropical fruit. Honestly, though, aren’t peaches tropical?😉
Who doesn’t like the refreshing kick of a cold caffeinated drink on a hot day? Add the awesome fruitiness of peaches, and you have a drool-worthy peach tea that will refresh you on even the hottest of days.
The Best Peach Tea
The tea plant was introduced to North Carolina in the late 1700s, and iced tea has been enjoyed in the United States since the early 1800s. It seems only natural to add peaches to this unique historical drink.
Peach season lasts from mid-June to mid-September, and it’s my favorite time of year. Summer! And time to take advantage of having fresh peaches available to delight in this incredibly refreshing tea.
The expression Georgia Peach refers to more than just fruit, but it also reveals how important peaches are to the culture in Georgia. In fact, Peach County, GA hosts the annual Georgia Peach Festival. That’s a festival I would love to go to!
Fresh vs. Canned
It’s incredible! I could hardly believe my eyes when I read that canned peaches are just as nutritious as fresh. This is actually a relief, considering that good, fresh peaches have such a short season. While I especially love fresh peaches, it’s nice to know I’m not compromising nutrition for my family when it’s necessary to use canned.
What It Takes
- Peaches – the sweet and unique flavor of peaches is the perfect match for the pleasant bitterness of black tea.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – Lemon adds a bright, citrusy flavor to savory and sweet dishes alike.
- Sugar – An easy way to sweeten up your life.
- Black Teabags – Caffeine is one of my favorite drugs (and it’s legal), and black tea has plenty, thank you very much.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Peaches – Fresh peaches are available in the northern hemisphere from the middle of June until the middle of September. If good, fresh peaches are not available, frozen peaches, canned peaches, or even peach juice or nectar are a far better option than mediocre peaches. Replace the four fresh peaches with a 16-ounce bag of frozen peaches or a 16-ounce can of peaches.
- Sugar – Southerners love their sweet tea, and I am all for that. Northerners have the tendency to prefer their tea as is, with no sugar. So sorry, but if that is your preference, then no worries, just leave it out.
- Black Tea Substitute – Green tea or white tea also makes wonderful iced tea. My personal favorite is green tea. Just a note of caution, though: personal experience has taught me that if the water is too hot, green tea will become bitter. After boiling the water, let it cool down to about 150-180°F/65-82°C before adding the teabags.
- Teabag Substitute – If you prefer loose leaf tea, replace each bag with two generous teaspoons of leaves.
Recipe Variations
Cold Brew Peach Tea
This method gives a different twist to tea. It’s super easy, just put all the ingredients except the sugar in a glass pitcher and store it in the fridge overnight or 12 hours. Add simple syrup to taste for the desired sweetness.
Crown Royal Peach Tea
Crown Royal has created a peach whiskey, yum!!!! Add a shot to your tea, then kick back and relax. Of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to any particular brand.
There are peach schnapps, peach brandy, peach vodka, spiced rum, and a variety of other peach wines and liqueurs that would beautifully accent this already delicious peach tea.
Spice It Up
Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger all combine well with peaches and are exquisite in tea. You can also use a ready-made peach cobbler, apple pie, or pumpkin pie spice mix.
Perfect Pairings
More Easy Drinks to Try
How to Make Peach Tea
Prep the Peaches
- Get it together – Get your ingredients together, then wash and cut the peaches in half. (Photo 1)
- Prepare the peaches – Remove the pits and cut peaches into wedges.
Make the Peach Syrup
- Heat the peaches – Place the peaches in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat with 1 ½ cups of water and lemon juice. (Photo 2)
- Add the sugar on top, but do not stir. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes without stirring.
- Remove from the heat. (Photos 3 & 4)
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Discard the solids (or save for jam).
- Cool – Allow to completely cool, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Photo 5)
Make the Tea & Put it All Together
- Ready the syrup – When ready to make tea, pour the peach syrup into a pitcher and set it aside. (Photo 6)
- Heat the water – Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 3-5 minutes.
- Mix the peaches and tea – Once brewed, remove the tea bags and transfer the tea to the pitcher. Stir to combine and refrigerate until cool. (Photos 7-9)
- Serve – Once cool, stir before adding ice cubes and peach slices and serve.
Watch How To Make It
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Peach Tea (Sweet)
Ingredients
- 4 medium peaches pitted and cut into wedges
- 7½ cups (1.77 L) cold water divided
- ¼ cup (59.14 mL) fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 10 black tea bags
Instructions
Peach Simple Syrup
- Wash and cut the peaches in half. Remove the pits, then cut peaches into wedges.
- Place the peaches in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat with 1½ cups of water and lemon juice. Add the sugar on top, but do not stir. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes without stirring. Remove from the heat.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Discard the solids (or save for jam). Allow to completely cool, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- When ready to make tea, pour the peach syrup into a pitcher and set it aside.
The Tea
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 3-5 minutes. Once brewed, remove the tea bags and transfer the tea to the pitcher. Stir to combine and refrigerate until cool.
- Once cool, stir before adding ice cubes and peach slices and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- Don’t Boil the Tea - Make sure to remove the water from the heat before adding the tea leaves or bags. Boiling tea is a bad idea because it makes it bitter.
- Use Good Peaches - if you can’t smell an incredible peachy aroma when you pick them up, put the peaches back down and go to the freezer section. Only good peaches make good peach tea.
- Hot Tea - Let’s face it! A cold day doesn’t usually create a desire for a cold drink. Some like hot, some like it not. Making a cup of hot tea, then adding a dash of the peach simple syrup gives you comfort in a cup on a cold rainy day.
- Make It Ahead - One of the many cool things about this peach tea is that you can make the syrup ahead of time, it will be fine for a week in the fridge, and everyone can add the amount they want. Or you can make it in a big batch for a party without stressing on the day of.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. Please keep in mind that it is a rough estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition Information:
Christine says
I just finished making the Peach Syrup and put it in the refrigerator. OMG! I couldn’t resist taking a taste first! ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I can’t wait to make the tea tomorrow! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
Immaculate Bites says
Yay! I hope you’ll enjoy it, Christine <3
Marion says
I made a double batch of the simple syrup. How much of the simple syrup goes into a gallon of tea?
Imma says
Hi Marion. Add as much as you would like :).