Description
This Peach Lemonade recipe is the ultimate refreshing summer drink, combining the natural sweetness of ripe peaches with the tartness of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Perfectly balanced and easy to make, it’s an ideal thirst-quencher for hot days, served chilled with ice and garnished with fresh fruit and mint.
Ingredients
Scale
Peach Syrup
- 6 ripe peaches, pitted and roughly chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Drink
- 8 cups water, divided
- 1 ½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 8–10 lemons)
- Additional granulated sugar, to taste
Garnishes
- Lemon slices
- Peach slices
- Fresh mint sprigs (optional)
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Macerate Peaches: Combine chopped peaches and 1 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan. Stir well and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes so the peaches release their juices and macerate.
- Simmer the Mixture: Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the peach-sugar mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes until the peaches are very soft and the syrup has thickened slightly.
- Strain the Syrup: Remove the saucepan from heat. Strain the peach mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing down on the peaches to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard the solid pulp.
- Cool the Syrup: Allow the peach syrup to cool completely before using to avoid diluting or altering the lemonade’s flavor.
- Mix Lemonade Base: In a large pitcher, combine 6 cups of water with 1 ½ cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Stir well to blend.
- Add Peach Syrup: Pour the cooled peach syrup into the pitcher and stir thoroughly to combine the flavors.
- Adjust Sweetness: Taste the lemonade and add more sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed until your desired sweetness is achieved. Stir until sugar dissolves.
- Complete with Water: Add the remaining 2 cups of water to the pitcher and stir well to balance the concentrate.
- Chill the Drink: Cover and refrigerate the peach lemonade for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the drink to cool thoroughly.
- Prepare Glasses: Fill glasses with ice cubes to keep the lemonade refreshingly cold when served.
- Serve: Pour the chilled peach lemonade into the prepared glasses.
- Garnish: Add lemon slices, peach slices, and fresh mint sprigs if desired for an attractive presentation and extra aroma.
- Enjoy Immediate Refreshment: Serve the peach lemonade immediately for the best taste and cooling effect.
Notes
- The peach syrup can be made a day ahead and refrigerated to save time.
- To make the drink less sweet, adjust the sugar or substitute with honey or agave syrup.
- Use ripe, juicy peaches for the best natural sweetness and flavor.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice is preferred for authentic taste, but bottled lemon juice can be used if necessary.
- This recipe is easily doubled for larger batches.
- For a sparkling version, substitute some or all of the water with sparkling water just before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Peach lemonade, summer drink, refreshing beverage, homemade lemonade, peach syrup
