American
Fresh Peach Iced Tea
Ripe peaches simmered into a strained syrup give brisk black iced tea a fragrant stone-fruit center without leaving pulpy sediment in the glass.
8 servings · 15 minutes prep · 12 minutes cook
Ingredients
Peach Syrup
- 4 medium ripe peaches, about 1 1/2 pounds, pitted; 3 sliced for syrup and 1 thinly sliced for serving
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Tea and Service
- 6 cups water
- 6 black tea bags
- 4 cups ice cubes, for serving
Directions
Extract the Peach
- Rinse and dry three of the peaches, then pit and thinly slice them. Keep the fourth peach whole, covered, and refrigerated for garnish. Combine the three sliced peaches, the granulated sugar, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 8 minutes, crushing the softened fruit once.
- Remove from the heat, rest for 10 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Press gently for juice without forcing thick pulp through. Stir in the lemon juice. Measure the syrup. If it is less than 2 cups, add enough cold water to reach 2 cups; if it is more, reserve the excess. Chill 2 cups syrup.
Brew the Tea
- Bring 3 cups of the water to a boil, remove from the heat, and steep the black tea bags for 5 minutes. Lift out without squeezing, stir in the remaining 3 cups cool water, and refrigerate until cold.
Balance and Pour
- In the heatproof bowl, combine the chilled tea with 1 1/4 cups peach syrup, taste, and add up to the remaining 3/4 cup only if the fruit needs more presence. Immediately before service, wash, pit, and thinly slice the reserved chilled peach. Keep unused garnish covered and refrigerated separately from the pitcher. Fill glasses with the ice cubes, pour, and garnish with the freshly sliced chilled peach. Use within 3 days.
