Fresh Peach Iced Tea

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large glass pitcher (2-quart capacity)
• •Small saucepan
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Tall glasses (12-16 oz)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cold-brew the tea

   Place tea bags in a large glass pitcher and add cold filtered water. Cold brewing extracts sweetness and subtlety from tea leaves while leaving behind the harsh tannins that make hot-brewed tea turn bitter and cloudy when chilled. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for a minimum of eight hours, or overnight. Patience here rewards you with tea that tastes clean and smooth.

   Never squeeze the tea bags when removing them. Wringing releases bitter compounds that undo all your patient work.
2. 2

   Make the peach syrup

   While the tea steeps, prepare the peach syrup. Combine sugar and three-quarters cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely, about three minutes. Add sliced peaches, reduce heat to low, and let them simmer gently for ten minutes. The peaches will soften and release their fragrant juices into the syrup. The kitchen will smell like August in a jar.

3. 3

   Strain and chill the syrup

   Remove the saucepan from heat and let the mixture cool for fifteen minutes. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the syrup through, pressing gently on the peach solids to extract every drop of flavor. Discard the spent fruit or save it for topping yogurt. Refrigerate the syrup until cold, at least two hours.

   The peach syrup keeps refrigerated for two weeks. Make a double batch when peaches are at their peak and you'll have summer in a jar for impromptu entertaining.
4. 4

   Combine tea and syrup

   Remove the tea bags from the cold-brewed tea, lifting them out gently without squeezing. Add the chilled peach syrup and lemon juice to the pitcher. The lemon brightens everything, cutting through the sweetness and making the peach flavor pop. Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust: more syrup for sweetness, more lemon for brightness.

5. 5

   Prepare proper ice

   Fill tall glasses generously with ice cubes. The ice matters more than most people realize. Use large cubes if you have them; they melt more slowly and dilute your drink less. Crushed ice looks pretty but turns your carefully balanced tea watery within minutes. For entertaining, freeze some of the finished tea in ice cube trays so even the melting improves rather than weakens the drink.

   Peach tea ice cubes solve the eternal dilution problem. Freeze a batch whenever you make this recipe and your last sip will taste as good as your first.
6. 6

   Pour and garnish

   Pour the peach tea over the ice, leaving an inch of headroom. Garnish each glass with a fresh peach slice, cut thin enough to perch on the rim, and a small sprig of mint. The mint isn't merely decorative. Its aroma reaches your nose with each sip, adding a cool, herbal dimension that makes the drink feel even more refreshing. Serve immediately with a long straw.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out freestone peaches for this recipe. The flesh separates cleanly from the pit, making preparation painless. Clingstone varieties taste equally good but require more knife work.
• •The quality of your tea matters. Avoid anything in a paper tag; look for tea bags with room for the leaves to expand, or use two tablespoons of loose-leaf black tea in a large infuser.
• •For a grown-up variation, add two ounces of bourbon to each glass. The caramel notes in good bourbon marry beautifully with the peach. This becomes a proper porch cocktail.
• •If fresh peaches aren't available, frozen peach slices work admirably for the syrup. They've been frozen at peak ripeness and often surpass the sad, woolly specimens shipped out of season.

Advance Preparation

• •The peach syrup can be made up to two weeks ahead and refrigerated in a sealed jar.
• •Cold-brewed tea keeps refrigerated for up to five days, though it's best within the first three.
• •The complete tea, once combined, should be consumed within three days for optimal freshness.
• •For large gatherings, prepare a double batch of both tea and syrup, combining them in a beverage dispenser with a spigot. Add ice to individual glasses, not the dispenser, to prevent dilution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)