Description
This Peach Lemonade recipe is the ultimate refreshing summer drink combining the natural sweetness of ripe peaches with the bright tartness of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Perfectly balanced with a homemade peach syrup and customizable sweetness, it’s an ideal thirst-quencher for hot days, garnished with fresh fruit and mint for an inviting presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Peach Syrup
- 6 ripe peaches, pitted and roughly chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus more to taste
- 1 cup water
Lemonade
- 1 ½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 8-10 lemons)
- 6 cups cold water, plus more to adjust to taste
- Ice cubes, for serving
Garnish (optional)
- Lemon slices
- Peach slices
- Fresh mint sprigs
Instructions
- Combine peaches, sugar, and water: In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped peaches, 1 cup of granulated sugar, and 1 cup of water to start creating the peach syrup base.
- Bring to a simmer: Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and prevent sticking.
- Simmer and mash: Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until peaches are very soft and have released their juices. Mash the peaches gently with a potato masher or spoon to extract more flavor.
- Strain the syrup: Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heat-proof bowl, pressing the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard or save the pulp for another use.
- Cool the syrup: Allow the peach syrup to cool completely. To speed cooling, place the bowl in an ice bath.
- Combine lemon juice and water: In a large pitcher, mix the freshly squeezed lemon juice with 6 cups of cold water and stir well.
- Add the peach syrup: Pour the cooled peach syrup into the pitcher and stir to blend all flavors evenly.
- Taste and adjust: Taste the lemonade and adjust sweetness and tartness as desired by adding more sugar, lemon juice, or water to suit your preferences.
- Chill the lemonade: Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the drink to become refreshingly cold.
- Fill glasses with ice: Fill serving glasses about three-quarters full with ice cubes.
- Pour the lemonade: Serve the chilled peach lemonade over the ice in each glass.
- Garnish (optional): Add lemon slices, peach slices, and fresh mint sprigs to each glass for a decorative and aromatic touch.
- Serve immediately: Enjoy your refreshing peach lemonade right away.
Notes
- Adjust sweetness after mixing to suit your taste; adding sugar a tablespoon at a time helps control the balance.
- You can save the peach pulp for oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies to reduce waste.
- For an extra cold lemonade, chill the syrup and lemon water mixture thoroughly before serving.
- Feel free to add sparkling water instead of still for a fizzy twist.
- Use ripe, fragrant peaches for the best flavor in the syrup.
