I have recently traveled from Pennsylvania to south Florida. South of Maryland, I started to notice that the restaurants we stopped in had only one kind of tea: sweet tea. It’s the classic drink in the American south, a refreshing antidote to the thick humidity my husband describes as “wearing a sweater made of steam.”
But what if you could have a drink just as refreshing that relies on the sweetness of bountiful, in-season peaches?
Recently, my sister shared her Peach Iced Tea recipe with me, and it fits the bill, using only 2 teaspoons of sugar per serving (you could even use less, depending on your sweet tooth!). My sister says it’s as good as some of the upscale store-bought iced teas, with less sugar!
Peach Iced Tea will refresh you after you’ve picked peaches at Weaver’s on an August day. Speaking of which, Ed Weaver says the peach crop is particularly good this year. The fruit is reaching a good size, and they’re plentiful.
“And with abundant sunshine,” says Ed, “the flavor and sweetness are very good.”
Before we traveled south, I had the chance to taste-test donut peaches and (my favorite) white peaches from Weaver’s. I can confirm that they are as sweet as a dessert, and so tender and juicy! And right now, the peaches are freestone!
After you’ve snacked on that first ripe peach–but before you go to the work of baking a cobbler or canning jars of peaches in simple syrup–make this easy peach iced tea and then sit down in a shady spot and enjoy the summer afternoon. It’s a simple way to enjoy the fruit of your labor right away!
Peach Iced Tea
- Category: Beverage
Ingredients
- 2 bags black tea
- 2 teaspoons sugar (more or less to taste)
- 1 peach (yellow or white)
- 1 juice orange
Instructions
- Steep tea 4 minutes in 4 ounces boiling water. Dissolve sugar in tea and cool completely (if you have time).
- Halve the orange and peach, and pit the peach. Using a citrus press, juice the orange and peach. (If you don’t have a citrus press, you can squeeze the orange by hand and throw the pitted peach in the blender.) Add juices to a large cup filled with ice. Add the cooled tea. Fill any remaining space in the glass with cold water.
- Stir and enjoy!
