When I was a kid there really was not such a thing as flavored iced tea - you had plain iced tea (sweetened or unsweetened) or iced tea with lemon. When I went to college in Tennessee, I experienced a real peach iced tea for the first time. And this wasn’t some thrown together concoction either - a great deal of effort went into that peach iced tea to make it special. There were fresh peaches involved, a nice iced tea base and just a hint of extra peachy flavor. Needless to say, I was hooked. Ever since I moved back to the Washington DC area, I have yet to have a proper Peach Iced Tea. I figured that since I can’t find any, I’ll just make it myself. After countless recipes and experiments, I finally created a Peach Iced Tea worthy of an award! The following recipe for a delicious Peach Iced Tea is my personal favorite:
What you need
- 8 teaspoons Green Oolong (like our Tie Guan Yin)
- 8 cups of water
- Large pitcher
- 1 bag (12oz) frozen peaches
- 1 12oz can peach nectar
- 1 vanilla bean
How to make it
- Boil the water in a large pot
- Add loose tea to the pot
- Split the vanilla bean and add to the water
- Turn off the heat, steep for 10 minutes (It is OK to overstep your tea for this recipe)
- Strain into the pitcher and let the tea cool.
- Place the peaches in the blender and puree until they are smooth
- Add the Tea, peach puree and peach nectar to a pitcher and fill with ice.
- Serve and enjoy!
The secret is the vanilla and the Oolong
Adding vanilla to Peach Iced Tea really is the secret to this. It adds a touch of creamy flavor that is loosely reminiscent of the classical pairing of peaches and cream. Since I have to tweak everything, I used an Oolong base for the tea. I find that the Oolong has a lot of the same creamy accents as the vanilla, which make this a real treat.
Summary
If you want a true Southern Peach Iced Tea experience, then this is the recipe to use. It is refreshing, sweet and the slightest bit creamy. On a hot day (like this week has been in DC) it really hits the spot.
P.S.
– If you want to add a little kick to this delicious iced tea, add a 1/2 shot to a full shot of Peach Schnapps. It tastes delicious and is so subtle that you will barely know it is there!
photo: www.flickr.com/photos/bestpicabusen/9102497554
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