DRINK: Ginger Peach Iced Tea
- Ginger Peach Tea Ingredients
- Kitchen Equipment Needed
- How to Make Ginger Peach Iced Tea
- Storage & Serving Ideas
- Ginger Peach Iced Tea
You can take a girl out of the south, but you can’t take the south out of the girl… or stop her from making iced tea when the temperature climbs. This ginger peach iced tea is one of my favorites! It’s just the right amount of sweet, with a ripe juicy peach flavor and a kick from fresh ginger.
But you don’t have to wait until the peaches are ripe (or track down those elusive perfectly ripe ones). This homemade tea uses peach juice or nectar to add that juicy peach flavor and a bit of tang!
I use homemade canned peach juice from our peach tree, but you can use regular peach nectar or juice from the store if you aren’t lucky enough to have your own on the shelf.
Set a table on your porch or under a shade tree, and serve a pitcher of this ginger peach tea with some freshly baked lemon-oat scones spread with homemade ginger peach butter for a perfect Southern summer tea party!
Ginger Peach Tea Ingredients
Tea leaves:
You can use loose leaf tea, but I usually use tea bags for convenience in this summer brew. Use three to four standard sized orange pekoe tea bags, or one family-size bag of tea (sized for brewing iced tea in quantity) for a half-gallon batch.
If you are using loose-leaf black tea, use one teaspoon per tea bag (about one heaping tablespoon for the batch).
Fresh ginger:
Use one to two tablespoons of fresh chopped ginger in a small cheesecloth sachet, or a tea infuser.
Peach juice:
I use home-canned peach juice, but you can use commercial peach nectar or a small amount of fresh peach puree.
Peach leaves (optional):
If you have your own peach tree or access to fresh or dried peach leaves, you can use some of these in your tea infusion. You can substitute them for the black tea to make a decaffeinated herbal tisane version of this ginger peach tea, or add them with the tea leaves for additional flavor.
Sugar or honey:
I don’t like overly sweetened iced tea. I know, this is unusual for a southerner, but I’ve always preferred just barely sweet or unsweetened tea.
This recipe relies on the peach juice to sweeten this and balance the bitterness of the tea, but I like to add up to a quarter cup of sugar or a few tablespoons of honey for a sweeter beverage. You can add more sugar or honey to taste if you prefer a sweeter tea! Add the sweetener while the tea is still hot so that it will dissolve fully.
Kitchen Equipment Needed
half-gallon glass mason jar or large pot and pitcher:
I brew and then refrigerate this tea in a large mason jar. You can also steep the tea in a large stainless pot, cover and let cool, and pour into a glass or plastic pitcher for serving (or to refrigerate for later).
cheesecloth or tea infuser:
You will need this for the fresh ginger, and also if you use fresh tea leaves. I use a tea ball to contain the grated ginger, but you can add it to the jar and strain the whole batch through cheesecloth, a heat-resistant nylon brewing or nut milk bag, or a fine metal sieve.
How to Make Ginger Peach Iced Tea
prep ingredients:
- Wash, peel, and chop or roughly grate the ginger and place it in a tea ball, muslin/cheesecloth sachet, or add it loose (and strain the tea after brewing).
- Measure out the tea leaves into an infuser (or strain after brewing), or count out your tea bags.
- If you want to add peach leaves, you can add them loose and strain them out, put them in a tea ball, or tie them in cheesecloth, muslin, or a clean heat-resistant nylon mesh bag (the kind used in brewing, or for making nut or oat milks).
- Place the tea and ginger into a heat-resistant brewing container. I use a half-gallon mason jar, but you can use a gallon jar for a double batch, or a large non-reactive (stainless, glass, or enameled) pot with a lid.
brew tea:
- Boil a kettle or pot of water, turn off the heat, and let it cool for about one minute.
- Pour the hot water over the tea and ginger and let steep for at least 3-5 minutes. Cover with a lid to keep the heat in (and keep out anything else).
- You can leave the mixture longer if you want a stronger brew, but don’t leave the tea leaves in too long or it can over-steep the tannins and make a bitter brew.
- You can leave the ginger and peach leaves in the mixture until it cools for stronger tea, or strain and remove all together.
three: strain
- Let the tea cool until it is cool enough to handle the jar safely (unless you used loose-leaf tea and want a lighter flavor, then use hot pads and strain carefully!).
- Either remove your tea bags or infusers, or carefully strain your tea mixture by pouring it through a fine sieve or mesh.
- Discard the tea leaves and ginger in your compost (or trash).
- Add the honey or sugar to the tea while it is still warm so that it will dissolve completely and easily.
chill & serve!
- Add the peach juice to your freshly brewed ginger black tea.
- Stir or shake the tea pitcher or half-gallon jar to mix the peach juice, sugar or honey, and tea.
- Let the tea cool a bit if you strained it hot, then put it into the refrigerator.
- Chill until ice cold! This will vary, but could take several hours.
- If you are in a hurry, brew a stronger tea with less water, and add ice cubes to the jar or pot after you strain it and add the sugar.
- The ice will cool the mixture down in a hurry.
- The melting ice will dilute the tea to the proper strength.
Storage & Serving Ideas
Like any tea, this one tastes best when freshly brewed and chilled, but you can keep it in the fridge for about a week. Freeze it into ice cubes or popsicles for longer storage!
Discard your ginger peach iced tea if it develops an off-flavor or aroma, or shows signs of spoilage or fermentation (unless you’re TRYING to make a twisted tea style hooch, in which case you’ll want a lot more sugar or juice, wine yeast, and an airlock, but that’s a different kind of recipe altogether, lol).
This is delicious served chilled as-is, but pour it over ice in a tall glass or insulated tumbler for the most refreshing drink. You can enjoy your ginger peach iced tea by itself, but it pairs well with BBQ and summer grilling parties, watermelon feta salad, a thick slice of peach pie or cobbler, or a hot biscuit or scone slathered in ginger peach butter!
Ginger Peach Iced Tea
Equipment
- 1 half-gallon mason jar (or non-reactive pot)
- 1 tea infuser, ball, or strainer
Ingredients
- ½ gallon boiling water
- 4 regular orange pekoe tea bags (substitute one family-size tea bag or one tablespoon loose leaf black tea in an infuser)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
- ½ cup peach juice or nectar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (substitute 2-4 tablespoons honey)
Instructions
prep ingredients:
- Wash, peel, and chop or roughly grate the ginger and place it in a tea ball, muslin/cheesecloth sachet, or add it loose (and strain the tea after brewing).
- Measure out the tea leaves into an infuser (or strain after brewing), or count out your tea bags.
- If you want to add peach leaves, you can add them loose and strain them out, put them in a tea ball, or tie them in cheesecloth, muslin, or a clean heat-resistant nylon mesh bag (the kind used in brewing, or for making nut or oat milks).
- Place the tea and ginger into a heat-resistant brewing container. I use a half-gallon mason jar, but you can use a gallon jar for a double batch, or a large non-reactive (stainless, glass, or enameled) pot with a lid.
brew tea:
- Boil a kettle or pot of water, turn off the heat, and let it cool for about one minute.
- Pour the hot water over the tea and ginger and let steep for at least 3-5 minutes. Cover with a lid to keep the heat in (and keep out anything else).
- You can leave the mixture longer if you want a stronger brew, but don’t leave the tea leaves in too long or it can over-steep the tannins and make a bitter brew.
- You can leave the ginger and peach leaves in the mixture until it cools for stronger tea, or strain and remove all together.
strain:
- Let the tea cool until it is cool enough to handle the jar safely (unless you used loose-leaf tea and want a lighter flavor, then use hot pads and strain carefully!).
- Either remove your tea bags or infusers, or carefully strain your tea mixture by pouring it through a fine sieve or mesh.
- Discard the tea leaves and ginger in your compost (or trash).
- Add the honey or sugar to the tea while it is still warm so that it will dissolve completely and easily.
chill & serve!
- Add the peach juice to your freshly brewed ginger black tea.
- Let the tea cool a bit if you strained it hot, then put it into the refrigerator.
- Chill until ice cold! This will vary, but could take several hours.
Notes
Nutrition
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