Sweet tea is widely considered to be the house wine of the South. When peaches are at their peak, you can enjoy this fruity warm weather specialty combining sweet tea with the favored fruit of Summer. For the best results choose peaches that are sightly soft to the touch and fragrant.
Ingredients:
4 large, ripe, sweet peaches
1/3 c. loose Roughcreek Ceylon Tea
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1 c. granulated sugar
fresh mint
Directions:
Halve 2 peaches and remove pit. Cut into 1/2" slices and place on a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 4 hours until solid or overnight.
Bring 4 cups fresh water to a boil. Stir in 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup loose tea. Steep for 3 minutes and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Peel and pit the remaining 2 peaches. Cut into cubes and place into a stand blender with 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Stir into hot, steeped tea.
Fill a gallon pitcher with ice and place a fine-mesh sieve overtop. Carefully pour hot tea mixture through a fine sieve over ice. Add cold water or add ice to fill the pitcher.
To serve, add frozen peach slices and fresh mint sprigs and pour over ice.
Peach Tea
This strawberry sweet iced tea is so refreshing y’all! It’s full of strawberry flavor while still allowing the taste of classic southern sweet tea to shine on through.
Ingredients:
4 cups ripe, sweet strawberries
1/3 cup loose Roughcreek Ceylon Tea
6 cups fresh water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Frozen or fresh strawberries and fresh mint for garnish
Directions:
Place 4 cups ripe strawberries in a blender or food processor and puree. Set aside.
Bring fresh water to a boil. Add 1/3 cup loose Roughcreek Ceylon Tea and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Steep for 3 minutes.
Stir pureed strawberries into the steeped tea mixture.
Fill a gallon pitcher with ice and place a fine-mesh strainer over the top. Carefully pour the tea/strawberry mixture through the strainer into the ice pressing on the solids.
Fill the rest of the pitcher with fresh cold water or additional ice to make a gallon.
Add frozen strawberries to the pitcher and serve strawberry tea in tall glasses over ice with a fresh mint sprig for a garnish.
Strawberry Tea
Unlike water or wine or even Coca-Cola, sweet tea means something. It is a tell, a tradition. Sweet tea isn't a drink, really. It's culture in a glass.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Loose Roughcreek Ceylon Tea
1/8 t. baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
Fresh water and ice
*see variation at the end of the recipe for delicious Southern Mint Iced Tea
Directions:
Bring 4 cups cold, fresh water to a boil with 1 cup granulated sugar. Add loose tea leaves and stir until leaves are soaked and sugar is dissolved. Steep for 3 minutes. Add 1/8 t. baking soda.
Fill a gallon pitcher with fresh ice. Place a fine-mesh strainer over the pitcher.
Carefully pour the hot tea mixture through the strainer over the ice.
Stir well and add additional water or ice to fill the pitcher the rest of the way.
Fill tall glasses with ice and serve.
*Variation: Add 1 cup fresh spearmint to the boiling water and sugar when preparing the tea. Proceed as directed for the best southern mint iced tea around.