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peach iced tea recipe in a tall glass with fresh peach slices and ice
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Peach Iced Tea Recipe

A deep amber-pink peach iced tea made with a skins-on syrup that delivers real fruit depth. Black tea brewed at the right temperature keeps it smooth and never bitter. Ready in under an hour with everyday equipment.
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Keyword homemade peach iced tea, iced tea recipe, peach iced tea recipe, peach tea, summer drinks
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Steeping Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 glasses
Calories 95kcal
Author Zoe Tanaka
Cost $4

Equipment

  • 1 Small saucepan
  • 1 Fine mesh strainer
  • 1 Large pot or pitcher for brewing tea

Ingredients

For the Peach Syrup

  • 4 medium yellow peaches, unpeeled, pitted and sliced skins on -- do not peel
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup water filtered preferred

For the Tea

  • 8 cups filtered water
  • 8 black tea bags e.g. Lipton Black Tea

To Serve

  • ice cubes
  • fresh peach slices and mint leaves optional garnish

Instructions

Make the Peach Syrup

  • Add sliced peaches (skins on), sugar, and 1 cup of water to a small saucepan. Stir briefly to coat the peaches in the sugar.
    fresh yellow peaches, black tea bags, sugar, and lemon on white marble
  • Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, pressing the peaches gently with the back of a spoon to release their juice and color. Do not let it boil hard -- a gentle bubble keeps the syrup clear.
  • Remove the pan from heat. Cover and let the syrup steep for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a jar, pressing gently on the solids. Discard the peach pulp. Let the syrup cool completely before using.

Brew the Tea

  • Bring 8 cups of filtered water to a full boil, then remove from heat. Let it sit for 1 minute -- this brings it down to around 85C/185F, which prevents bitter tannin release from the tea bags.
  • Add 8 black tea bags to the hot water. Cover the pot and steep for exactly 8 minutes. Do not exceed 10 minutes and do not squeeze the bags when removing them -- lifting them gently keeps the tea smooth and clean-tasting.
  • Remove the tea bags without pressing them. Let the brewed tea cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until fully cold -- at least 1 hour.

Assemble and Serve

  • Fill glasses with ice. Pour in the cold tea and stir in peach syrup to taste -- start with 2 tablespoons per glass and adjust from there. Garnish with fresh peach slices and mint if desired. Serve immediately.
    two glasses of homemade peach iced tea garnished with mint and peach slices on a summer table

Notes

Store syrup separately from brewed tea. Syrup keeps up to 5 days refrigerated or 1 month frozen. Assembled peach iced tea keeps 3-4 days in the fridge. Frozen peaches work -- simmer them for 15 minutes instead of 10. For a sparkling version, replace 2 cups of cold water in the pitcher with sparkling water and serve immediately.
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