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Our practically perfect peach tea is the ultimate cure for those long, sweltering dog days of summer—refreshing, fruity, and ice-cold, it’s guaranteed to revive and refresh with every sip.
This homemade tea is a refreshing Southern-inspired drink, sweetened with a simple homemade peach syrup. This syrup recipe uses just three primary ingredients and is a lovely way to capture the fresh flavor of ripe peaches in a bottle. It adds juicy peach flavor and pairs beautifully with freshly brewed black tea.
This tea is perfect for picnics, potlucks, or weeknight family dinners! Served over ice on a hot summer day or as a fun, fruity alternative to classic sweet tea. Whether using fresh, frozen, or canned peaches, this syrup comes together easily and keeps the flavor of summer alive year-round.
If you love a delicious summer drink, I hope you’ll try my refreshing, artisanal lime rickey and Brazilian lemonade next!
BEFORE YOU START
→How much syrup does this recipe make? This recipe makes approximately 1½ to 2 cups of syrup, depending on how much you reduce it.
→How much tea does this make? 1 gallon of tea.
→Brewing Tea: Don’t exceed steeping the tea for more than 5 minutes or it may get bitter.
→Do I need to peel the peaches? Peeling is optional. If you prefer a smoother, clearer syrup, peel them first. If leaving the skins on, you may notice a slight texture or pink tint.
→Do I have to strain out the peaches? It’s up to you! Straining will give a smooth syrup, but you can also leave the soft peach bits in for texture or stir them into yogurt or oatmeal.
→How much syrup does this recipe make? This recipe makes approximately 1½ to 2 cups of syrup, depending on how much you reduce it.
→How much peach syrup should I add to the tea? Start with 2–4 tablespoons per glass of tea and adjust to taste. You can also stir the syrup into the full pitcher to sweeten all at once.
→Don’t squeeze the tea bags!! Tea bags contain finely ground leaves (especially black tea). Squeezing them can release excess tannins, which increase the bitterness of the tea—especially noticeable in delicate or fruity teas like this peach tea.
PEACH ICED TEA INGREDIENTS
- Peaches: Can I use frozen or canned peaches? Yes! Both frozen and canned peaches work well—just thaw frozen peaches first, and drain canned peaches before using.
- If using canned peaches, which typically are very sweet, reduce the sugar slightly to avoid an overly sweet syrup.
- Use the leftover cooked peaches as a topping for ice cream, yogurt, or toast instead of discarding them.
- Sweetener: I use granulated sugar to make our simple syrup. You can switch out the sugar, if you’d like, with ¾ cup honey. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you can use less. You can also use an alternative sweetener, such as Monk fruit. If you’re using monk fruit with erythritol (like Lakanto Classic or Golden) use the same amount as you would regular sugar.
- Tea: Steep the tea bags a little stronger than usual, as you’ll be diluting it with ice and syrup. You can also make the tea with decaf tea. I do it all the time! If you’d prefer to use loose leaf tea, I’d suggest using 2 tablespoons for a stronger brew (which is ideal for sweet tea diluted with cold water and syrup). Use a large tea infuser, tea filter bag, or French press.
- What’s the best brand of black tea bags to use? Here are my favorites:
- Lipton Southern Sweet Tea Bags (or Iced Tea Family Size): It’s widely available, with a bold flavor, and brews strong tea ideal for sweet tea. Use the family-size bags to make brewing easy.
- Luzianne: This tea is specially blended for iced tea. It’s smooth, never bitter, and holds up well to sugar and ice. My Southern family swears by it—it’s a staple in traditional Southern kitchens.
- Tetley Iced Tea Blend: Personally, I love this tea. I had a British lady working for me, and she got me hooked on it! I especially love their decaf option. It’s also designed for iced tea, with a clean, crisp flavor and strong brew that doesn’t cloud when chilled. It’s lightly stronger than Luzianne, great for bold tea lovers.
- Red Diamond: Known in the South for its rich, smooth flavor. Available as tea bags and pre-brewed jugs. If available near you, this is another deeply Southern favorite.
- What’s the best brand of black tea bags to use? Here are my favorites:
- Water: I prefer using filtered water for the best-tasting tea. If you only have tap water, don’t sweat it! My Grandma always used plain tap water!
- Lemon: Try adding a splash of lemon juice to the finished tea for brightness.
- Mint: If you’re a regular reader, you know I highly encourage you to grow fresh mint in your garden! It has to be one of the easiest herbs to grow at home, and it’s best grown in a pot (because it’s invasive!) Even if you live in a place with very little outside space, mint is doable for you. Plant in a pot in full sun and give it lots of water.
TIPS
- Serving: Pour prepared peach tea over a tall glass filled with fresh ice cubes
- More Garnish Ideas: Add fresh peach slices or mint sprigs to glasses for a pretty garnish.
- Variation: Try adding a cinnamon stick or vanilla bean while simmering for extra warmth and depth of flavor.
- Party Tricks: If serving at a party, set up a tea bar with the peach syrup on the side so guests can sweeten their glass to taste.
- Spike It: If you’d like to convert this to an adult-only beverage, add 1.5 shots of vodka or bourbon to a standard single serving (about 8–10 ounces of peach iced tea over ice).
STORING + FREEZING + MAKE-AHEAD
- How long will this syrup last? Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, it can be frozen or processed in sterilized jars.
- How long will plain tea last? The quality of the tea is best within 3–4 days for flavor and freshness.
- How long will the peach tea last: For best quality, drink the peach tea within 2–3 days.
- Can I make the tea ahead of time? Yes! Both the tea and syrup can be made ahead and stored separately in the fridge. Combine just before serving, or mix a batch and chill.
- Storage tips to maximize freshness:
- Keep chilled at all times — don’t leave out for more than 1 hour.
- Use a glass pitcher or an airtight container (plastic can absorb flavors).
- Add fresh peach slices or mint only when serving, not for storage.
- Optionally, stir in the peach syrup per glass instead of batching, to keep the brewed tea fresher for longer (up to 5–6 days).
- Freezing: I love this tip and use all the time. Storing the syrup in an ice cube tray. When frozen solid, pot the little cubes in a labeled, one-gallon resealable plastic bag in the freezer for 2-3 months.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety, check out this link.
HOW TO MAKE PEACH ICED TEA
MORE REFRESHING SUMMER DRINKS
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Peach Iced Tea
Ingredients
Peach Syrup
- 2 cups fresh, frozen, or canned peaches, sliced or diced
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, optional, but helps balance sweetness
Peach Tea
- 1 gallon-size black tea bag or 4 regular-sized bags
- 8 cups water, for brewing
- 8 cups cold water, to dilute
- peach syrup (recipe above) homemade or store bought
- ice + fresh peach slices, for serving, optional
- fresh mint, optional
Instructions
Make Syrup
- Add the peaches (2 cups), sugar (1 cup), and water (1 cup) to a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally and gently mashing the peaches to release juices.
- Remove from heat and strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve. Press with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Stir in the lemon juice (1 teaspoon), let it cool, then store in a jar in the fridge.
Make The Tea
- In a saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil.
- Remove from heat and steep the gallon-size tea bag for 4-5 minutes, depending on how strong you like it.
- Remove tea bag and let tea cool slightly.
- In a large gallon pitcher, pour in brewed tea and stir in the peach syrup (start with 3/4 cup and adjust to taste).
- Add the remaining 8 cups cold water and stir well.
- Chill in the fridge until cold. Serve over ice with peach slices and mint if desired.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Serving: Pour prepared peach tea over a tall glass filled with fresh ice cubes
- More Garnish Ideas: Add fresh peach slices or mint sprigs to glasses for a pretty garnish.
- Variation: Try adding a cinnamon stick or vanilla bean while simmering for extra warmth and depth of flavor.
- Party Tricks: If serving at a party, set up a tea bar with the peach syrup on the side so guests can sweeten their glass to taste.
- Spike It: If you’d like to convert this to an adult-only beverage, add 1.5 shots of vodka or bourbon to a standard single serving (about 8–10 ounces of peach iced tea over ice).
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