Cool off this summer with this delicious oolong peach iced tea! Prepared with an easy homemade peach syrup to sweeten up a floral oolong cold tea, it makes for the best refresher to enjoy on a sunny day.
Having a pitcher of homemade peach iced tea hanging out in your fridge might be just what you need to get yourself into a summer vibe. You don't even need to wait for a special occasion or to be hosting to make it. It comes together super easily and stores well for days.
You then will have a very good reason to sit back, hopefully in the sun, while slowly sipping on a fruity refreshing drink. How great does that sound?
Because this peach iced tea is such a great summer's refreshing drink. It has a very peachy flavor that's just perfectly sweetened up with a beautiful amber color. Serve it extra cold at BBQs or on hot days for an instant cooling effect.
What's oolong tea?
Oolong tea origins from China (and Taiwan) simply is a category of tea, just like black or green tea. All kinds of tea come from the same plant called Camellia Sinensis (tea plant) and the type of tea made will simply depend on the processing method.
One of the most important processing manipulations is the oxidation. Roughly, when the tea plant is fully oxidized, it turns into black tea and when it is barely oxidized, then you end up with green tea.
Oolong tea is partially oxidized, somewhere in between black and green tea's oxidation level. The amount of oxidation done vary widely from tea masters, which can have an impact on flavor and also on the color. In all cases, oolong tea has a rich, floral and malty flavor that's so delicious.
Also, oolong tea is a great addition to a healthy lifestyle as, similarly to green tea, it contains lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is also worth mentioning that although much less when comparing to coffee, oolong does contain caffeine (use caffeine free herbal tea if serving for kids).
Which peach to use when making this oolong peach iced tea
I have to admit that I have made it a few times using frozen peaches as we were not quite in the peach season. Since the fruit gets crushed into the drink, the difference between fresh vs frozen fruits was not obvious at all. So, you really don't have to wait for peach season for make this drink!
If using fresh fruit, then both yellow or white will work well. White peaches have a subtle sweeter and floral flavor while the yellow ones will create a stronger amber color.
How to make oolong peach iced tea
Making an homemade peach iced tea is all about the homemade peach syrup! Don't be afraid by the idea of making your own fruity simple syrup as it is SO easy. This version is also a little healthier than lots of other syrup recipes as the granulated sugar is replaced by agave nectar. And using peaches allows you to use less sweetener too.
Make the simple peach syrup
In a small pot, combine the peach, water and agave nectar. Stir and bring to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes while stirring and use a masher to crush the peaches a little to get some of their juice out. After about 5-10 minutes, remove from the heat, cover and let it sit for about 20 minutes.
Then, strain the peach mixture using a fine mesh colander. The pink-amber juice is what you will use as your peach syrup.
Although you won't need the chunks of peach that's remaining in the colander, I still recommend to keep it to spread over toasts, oatmeal, scones, muffins, etc.
As a side note, you don't have to use extra sweetener if your fruits are super sweet.
Make the tea
While the peach syrup is simmering, then simply steep your tea in a large pitcher. I usually use bags of tea, but use loose tea leaves if you have them. I also steep the tea bags directly inside the serving or storing container.
I like to steep oolong tea for at least 5 minutes, but no more than 7-9 minutes (so it doesn't get bitter), so set a timer if needed.
Also, the perfect temperature to steep oolong tea is around 190º. What I usually do is have the water in my kettle come to a complete boil (212º), then let it sit just for a few minutes so it can cools down a bit, then use it to steep the tea. This is not an exact science of course, but this method works well for me. Feel free to measure the temperature of your water before steeping if you want.
Combine and cool down
Once the tea is done steeping, then remove the bags/leaves and add the peach syrup to the tea. Give it a good stir and transfer to the fridge so it can cool down.
This recipe will give you a peach tea that's just perfectly sweetened for my taste buds, but if you prefer, add some and taste along the way. If it is not sweet enough after adding all the syrup, then you can also simply add more agave directly to the pitcher.
Watch how to make it
How to serve it
Crisp extra cold is definitively the way to serve it. Try to allow some time for the iced tea to chill completely in the fridge before serving. This will also help to enhance the flavors to an extra peachy deliciousness level. If you are in a rush and need to serve it right away, then make sure to fill the glass with lots of ice cubes first.
And if you have extra peaches, then slice them and add to the pitcher/glasses too for added flavor and to make the drink look amazing.
If you have frozen peaches handy, then add them too so it act like a peach ice cube!
Other refreshing summer drinks you might like
I hope you enjoy this oolong peach iced tea as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Oolong Peach Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup water
- 2 cups sliced peaches - fresh or frozen
- ⅓ cup agave nectar or maple syrup - or other sweetener
- 4 oolong tea bags - or 3 tbsp loose tea leaves
- 6 cups hot water
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan, combine the peaches, 1 ½ cup of water and sweetener. Warm over medium-high heat while stirring and crushing the peaches using a wooden spoon or a masher. Keep doing this for about 5-10 minutes or until the fruit has softened. Then, remove from the heat, cover and let it sit for about 20 minutes.
- While the peach mixture is resting, add your tea (bags or loose tea leaves) to the 6 cups of hot water and let it steep for about 5 minutes. Then, strain the tea and transfer to the fridge to cool down.
- When the peach mixture is done resting, filter the fruit using a fine mesh colander into a bowl and use the back of a spoon to press on the fruits to get most of the juice out. Transfer the juice into the pitcher with the tea (and keep the leftover peach puree to use as a jam).
- Stir and transfer back to the fridge to cool down completely.
- To serve, add ice cubes too a glass and pour the tea over. You can also add slices of peaches for a beautiful the look! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You can use either fresh or frozen peach.
- The ideal temperature to steep oolong tea is at 190º. You can measure the temperature of the water if you want, but what I do is boil water, then let rest for a few minutes to cool down before using to steep the tea.
- Store the iced tea in the fridge for up to 5-7 days.
- You can use frozen peach as ice cubes if you have them.
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