Serves: 1 Quart Time: 30 Minutes Cookbook: The Gift of Southern Cooking
I’ve never met anyone who didn’t enjoy a good cup of tea. Tea is loved throughout the entire world but I dare say, no one takes their tea as seriously as a southerner. Order iced tea in the south, and you’ll be brought a strong, sweet cup of perfection. Today’s recipe for peach iced tea takes the southern classic and adds a twist – peaches.
We’re taking our inspiration from chef Scott Peacock. He’s an Alabama native and best friends with Edna Lewis – aka the Queen of Southern Cooking. He also served as executive chef to two Georgia governors so you can be sure he knows a thing or two about making southern iced tea.
Jump Ahead:
- 🥤 Ingredients Needed to Make Peach Iced Tea
- 🍴 Equipment You’ll Need in the Kitchen
- 🥄 How to Make Peach Iced Tea
- ♾️ Peach Iced Tea Variations
- ❓ Peach Iced Tea Tips, Tricks, and FAQs
- 🥤 More Drink Recipes
Ingredients Needed to Make Peach Iced Tea
To make this delicious summertime refresher, you’ll need:
Tea
- 3 1/2 cups Water
- 4 Black Tea Bags
- 12 Mint Leaves
- Ice Cubes
Peach Puree
- 2 ripe Peaches
- 1 cup Sugar or 3/4 cup Stevia (like Stevia in the Raw)
- 1 cup Water
Equipment Needed In the Kitchen
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- Pitcher: The one featured here can handle hot and cold liquids. We have this pitcher and we love not having to worry about pouring boiling liquid straight in when making tea.
- Saucepan: A 1-quart saucepan is the perfect size for this recipe.
How to Make Peach Iced Tea
You’ll make peach iced tea in two steps: peach puree and tea. Both are simple and easy to do.
Make the puree
Start by peeling your peaches, removing the pit, then dicing the flesh small.
Add the diced peaches, water, and sugar or sugar substitute to a saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. This takes around 3-5 minutes.
After the peaches have boiled and the sugar dissolved, remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 25 minutes. This will help bring out the flavor of the peaches.
Once 25 minutes have elapsed, place the peaches, sugar, and water into a blender and puree.
Strain the pureed mixture through a fine mesh strainer. This will produce a puree that is smooth and free of pulp and skin.
Set the puree aside in a covered jar in the fridge until ready to use.
Make the tea
Boil 2 1/2 cups of water then take off the heat.
Place 4 tea bags into the boiled water and let steep for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove the tea bags.
Add 1 cup of cold water to a pitcher, then add the tea and ice. If not serving immediately, place the pitcher in the refrigerator to cool.
Now combine the tea and peach puree
Fill a glass with ice. Add tea 3/4 of the way to the top, then add 1-2 tablespoons of puree and stir. Take a taste and add more peach puree to taste.
Add mint leaves as a garnish, or stir several leaves in for a minty peach iced tea.
Peach Iced Tea Variations
Variations for iced tea are a mile long. Black tea takes to almost any flavor. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Raspberry Iced Tea: We love the sweet and tart flavor of raspberries. Raspberries are only in season for a little bit and their sun-ripened goodness is second to none. Use berries in place of (or in addition to!) the peaches in this recipe. If you can’t find fresh berries, frozen berries work just as well. Simply defrost them before starting the recipe.
Arnold Palmer Iced Tea: Brew the tea as directed in this recipe, and mix lemonade, to taste, until you are satisfied with the ratios.
Blackberry Iced Tea: In Kentucky, blackberries reign supreme. They are native to the state and would make an excellent variation. As stated earlier, you can use virtually any fruit for this recipe and we highly recommend something that grows native to your area.
Peach Iced Tea Tips, Tricks, and FAQs
As long as your Southern Mama a’int looking (just kidding), you can sub the sugar for other sweeteners such as honey, agave nectar, and stevia. We use stevia and it always turns out great.
If you are looking to make a classic sweet iced tea, skip the fruit, add 6 Tbsp sugar to the tea recipe, and serve with lemon wedges if desired.
If you’re going with loose leaf, an orange pekoe or Darjeeling tea is excellent. If you’re using tea bags, Lipton and Luzianne are both good options.
The Perfect Peach Iced Tea: Sweet, Simple, and Refreshing
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This delightful, refreshing tea is perfect when peaches are in season. It’s easily scaled to make larger quantities for group gatherings and is a sure-fire crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Tea
- 3 1/2 cups Water
- 4 Black Tea Bags
- 12 Mint Leaves
- Ice Cubes
Peach Puree
- 2 ripe Peaches
- 1 cup Sugar or 3/4 cup Stevia (like Stevia in the Raw)
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
Make the puree
- Start by peeling your peaches, removing the pit, then dicing the flesh small.
- Add the diced peaches, water, and sugar or sugar substitute to a saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. This takes around 3-5 minutes.
- After the peaches have boiled and the sugar dissolved, remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 25 minutes. This will help bring out the flavor of the peaches.
- Once 25 minutes have elapsed, place the peaches, sugar, and water into a blender and puree.
- Strain the pureed mixture through a fine mesh strainer. This will produce a puree that is smooth and free of pulp and skin.
- Set the puree aside in a covered jar in the fridge until ready to use.
Make the tea
- Boil 2 1/2 cups of water then take off the heat.
- Place 4 tea bags into the boiled water and let steep for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the tea bags.
- Add 1 cup of cold water to a pitcher, then add the tea and ice. If not serving immediately, place the pitcher in the refrigerator to cool.
Now combine the tea and peach puree
- Fill a glass with ice. Add tea 3/4 of the way to the top, then add 1-2 tablespoons of puree and stir. Take a taste and add more peach puree until you have your desired level of peachy goodness.
- Add mint leaves as a garnish, or stir several leaves in for a minty peach iced tea.
Notes
We made this recipe with Stevia to keep it healthier. It turns out amazing and is a completely guilt-free drink to enjoy all summer long.
- Prep Time: 3
- Cook Time: 3
- Category: Beverages
- Method: Steep
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Tea, Sweet Tea, Southern Tea, Peaches
