Description
This Southern Fresh Peach Sweet Tea is a refreshing and naturally sweetened iced tea infused with organic raspberry leaf tea and fresh peach syrup. Perfect for warm days, it features a smooth tea base combined with a homemade peach syrup sweetened with light honey, yielding a delightful balance of fruity and floral flavors in every sip.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Iced Tea
- 4 cups filtered water
- 4 organic raspberry leaf tea bags
- 3–4 cups ice
For the Peach Syrup
- 1 ½ cups filtered water
- 3 medium-size organic peaches, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup mild and light colored honey
Instructions
- Prepare the Tea: In a medium-size saucepan, bring 4 cups of filtered water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove the pan from heat and hang the 4 tea bags inside the saucepan so the tags hang over the edge. Cover the saucepan and steep the tea bags for 15 minutes. After steeping, remove the lid and gently squeeze the tea bags over the pan to extract more flavor, then discard the bags. Carefully pour the hot tea into a heat-safe large pitcher or 64-ounce mason jar. If your container is not heat-safe, let the tea cool to room temperature first. Set aside to cool.
- Make the Peach Syrup: Using the same saucepan, add 1 ½ cups filtered water, the sliced peaches, and ¼ cup mild honey. Heat over medium-high until a full rolling boil is reached, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 7 minutes. At around the 5-minute mark, mash the softened peaches using a wooden spoon or potato masher to release juices. After 7 minutes, remove from heat.
- Strain the Syrup: Place a large fine mesh strainer over a heat-safe glass measuring cup (2 or 4 cups capacity). Pour the peach mixture through the strainer. Use a wooden spoon to gently press the peach solids to extract maximum juice, then discard the solids. Allow the peach syrup to cool for 15 minutes.
- Assemble the Iced Peach Sweet Tea: Once the peach syrup is cooled and the tea base is cooled or at room temperature, combine both by stirring the syrup into the tea thoroughly. Add ice directly into the pitcher or into individual glasses, then pour the peach tea over the ice. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- You will need: a large glass pitcher with lid or a 64-ounce (2 quart) mason jar, medium-size saucepan, wooden spoon or potato masher, fine mesh strainer, 2-cup glass measuring cup.
- Cold Brew Option: Steep the tea bags in 4 cups of water in the refrigerator overnight (at least 8 hours) and then proceed with the peach syrup preparation.
- Sweetness Adjustment: For sweeter tea, increase honey to ⅓ cup.
- Frozen Peaches: If using frozen peaches, thaw to room temperature before making syrup and consider increasing honey to compensate for lower sweetness.
- Storage: Keep peach tea refrigerated and covered for up to 3 days. Do not add ice before storing to avoid dilution.
- Loose Leaf Tea Option: Substitute each tea bag with 1 tablespoon loose red raspberry leaf tea and steep similarly.
- Homemade Ice Cubes: Use filtered water ice cubes for best clarity and taste.
- This recipe can easily be doubled for larger batches.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (8.5 oz)
- Calories: 70
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
