Peach Iced Tea
We drink gallons of iced tea year-round, and like most southerners, we drink it sweet. But in the summer months we add sunny-syrupy flavor by stirring in peaches that we’ve liquefied in a blender.
Excerpted from The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern by Matt Lee and Ted Lee Copyright © 2009 by Matt Lee and Ted Lee. Excerpted by permission of Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
- 6 regular-size bags Lipton Luzianne, or other orange pekoe black tea
- 1 lb ripe freestone peaches pitted (skins left on) and cut into wedges
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Ingredients
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- Bring 2 cups cold water to a boil in a saucepan or kettle. Put the tea bags in a heatproof pitcher and pour the boiling water over them. Let steep for 15 minutes.
- While the tea steeps, put the peaches in a food processor and process for about a minute and a half, until they have become a smooth, thick liquid.
- Press the tea bags gently against the side of the pitcher with a wooden spoon to extract the liquid remaining in the bags, and discard the bags. Add 4 cups cold water. Stir in the peach puree, and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
- Strain the tea through a fine-mesh strainer or a folded-over piece of cheesecloth into a serving pitcher. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve (or for up to 3 days).
- Pour the tea into tall glasses filled two-thirds to the rim with ice cubes.
Variation: Peach Tea Julep
For each cocktail, pour 4 ounces (1/2 cup) Peach Iced Tea into a rocks glass filled with ice cubes. Add an ounce of your favourite bourbon or Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey. Garnish with a slice of fresh peach.
