Last week, it was officially summer.
Woo hoo!
I used to love the cold and hate the heat. That was probably because I lived in Malaysia – the whole year round tropical weather country.
I started to hate the cold when I first moved to Taiwan. And then Chicago. And then back to Taiwan. Chicago was bone chilling cold. Below zero was a norm. Taiwan wasn’t as cold as Chicago but it was very humid there. Plus, heaters weren’t (still aren’t) a norm. So not only was it cold outdoors, it was cold indoors too. And my bones would start aching…. ok fine. Maybe I was getting old.
Now that I’m in LA, well… (smugly), we all know how the weather is like in L.A. It’s perfect.
Yup.
Most of the time.
But seriously, it gets cold here too.
But now that it’s summer and it’s finally warm….er ish, it’s time to enjoy summer beverages.
Peach Iced Tea.
So glorious. So good. So refreshing.
Only I don’t take ice nor do I drink anything cold. Don’t judge. But you do. So enough of me and more of you.
Peach Iced Tea. For you.
This incredible drink is infused with real peaches. No artificial nothing. No nectar, no weird concentrated anything. Combine this with freshly brewed tea, it’s the perfect summer drink, the perfect bbq drink, the perfect pool drink, the perfect anytime drink.
Mega peachy, sweet yet slightly tart. It’s like homemade SNAPPLE peach tea…. only better.
Tip: Yellow peaches are less sweet buy uber peachy. White peaches are sweeter but less peachy. Use either or mix to get the best of both types.
If you’re into infused beverages, then you’re going to love this fresh homemade Strawberry Milk. Deliciously silky smooth, creamy & sweet. Super simple to make too.
Also, if you haven’t already, check out my last post Korean Black Bean Noodles. A savory black bean sauce loaded with seared pork belly & vegetables over soft, chewy noodles. Absolutely delicious and deeply satisfying.
What’s your favorite summer beverage?
Peach Iced tea Makes about 5 cups
what you need:
Peach syrup Makes 1 cup peach syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 peaches (about 4 1/2 cups), pitted and roughly chopped
Tea
4 cups hot boiling water
4 tea bags (more of less depending on how strong you like your tea)
3/4 – 1 cup peach syrup
1/2 – 1 lime, juiced (optional)
Ice
Garnish
Mint leaves
Lime slices
Peach slices
directions:
1. Add the sugar, water and peaches into a saucepan. Over high heat, bring it to a boil. Once boiled, turn the heat to medium and let simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes while stirring occasionally. Strain.
2. Place the tea bags in the hot water and let steep for 4-6 minutes. Remove tea bags and let cool completely. Optionally, add the leftover peaches (from step 1) in the tea while it cools to get the most out of the peaches. Strain after.
3. Add the syrup to the tea until it’s sweet to your liking. Add some lime juice if you want it slightly tart. Pour them over ice, garnish and serve immediately.
Or enjoy them hot like us… yes, it’s summer but we like our beverages hot.
Notes:
1. Use the leftover peaches along with other fruit to make a delicious cuppa smoothie.
2. Use any tea or combination of tea you like.
3. I use white peaches as I found them to be sweeter and heavenly-er. But use whatever peaches you like or are available. You may need to adjust the amount of sugar for the simple syrup according to how sweet the peaches already are.
4. Let the tea bags dry and place them in shoes to remove bad odor. There’s no waste in this recipe!
