When making a classic drink, there's no room for mistakes. Peach iced tea is an ultimate summer drink. Don't lose the opportunity to make peach iced tea with fresh peaches from a scratch, especially since the peach season is in full swing.
What is peach iced tea?
Peach iced tea can be many things. It can be tea made with fruits only, or it can be black tea flavoured with peaches. Pre-made peach iced teas don't necessarily need to contain any real tea or any real fruits.
Homemade peach tea can be made with:
- Black tea and peach syrup
- Black tea and fresh peaches
- Peach flavoured black tea
Each of these methods has its own benefits. The first one may require more time and effort, as you will need to make a peach syrup first. It will give the most flavourful tea though, and you can store peach syrup in the fridge and use it for making multiple iced teas. The third method will usually have a weaker tea, depending on which tea you are using. And the second method – the one we choose for this guide – will give a flavourful, naturally sweet tea in only 10 minutes. This method requires very little effort, and it's great for making a peach iced tea even when you are busy.
Why should you make peach iced tea at home?
Pre-made peach iced teas may taste delicious, but they may be full of sugars too. Not all peach teas are the same, and some may contain artificial sweeteners or may be sweetened with honey. What's great about making a peach iced tea from a scratch is that you can choose your own ingredients and make it more or less sweet, strong or light, 100% organic or even choose different black tea for a base to get more unique flavours.
Some of the ingredients you can add:
- Rosemary
- Mint
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- Basil
Ingredients for making a peach iced tea with fresh peaches
To make peach tea at home, you will need fresh ripe peaches and water. Peaches are naturally sweet, so depending on the ripeness, you may not need to use a sweetener at all. Don't use frozen or freeze-dried peaches, they won't give the same flavour as ripe fresh ones. This recipe uses one whole small peach per glass to get as intense flavour as possible. The most crucial part is avoiding unripe peaches with a bland flavour.
Which black tea is the best for making iced tea?
For making a strong flavourful iced tea, you will need a strong black tea. If you don't want to use any additional sweeteners, choose teas that won't get bitter. That usually means high-quality teas, but with smaller broken leaves. Assam and Nilgiri black tea will work great. Tea dust in tea bags may often be bitter when steeped for over 3-5 minutes and may sometimes brew into a murky tea. If you are using tea bags, opt for pyramid bags with loose tea instead. You can even choose teas that are already flavoured with peach flavour, or even caramel flavoured black tea, Earl Grey or – masala chai.
Can you simmer it instead of brewing?
Simmering method is great for making a strong black tea for serving over ice. Simmering fresh peach with black tea leaves will often result in a stronger flavour. This is a good method if you are making more than just a cup of tea and want to use a sweetener like honey or simple syrup.
Homemade Peach Iced Tea
Equipment
- Kettle
- Cup for brewing
- Serving glass
- Knife
- Tea spoon
- strainer
Ingredients
- 200 ml of boiling water
- 1 whole, small ripe peach
- 50 ml of cold water (or more if using a larger glass)
- 1 teaspoon of honey (optional, or you can use more if you want very sweet tea)
- 2 heaped teaspoons of strong black tea, preferably broken leaves
Instructions
- Brightfresh water to a boil.
- Wash and thinly slice one ripe peach.
- Add peacha and tea leaves into a cup and add 200 ml of boiling water.
- Steep for10 minutes.
- Fill a large glass with ice.
- Strain the tea into a glass and top up with fresh cold water.