Description
A refreshing and homemade Peach Lemonade recipe that combines sweet, ripe peaches with tangy lemon juice for a perfectly balanced summer drink. This peach lemonade is easy to make with simple ingredients and can be customized with sparkling water or other liquids for a twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Peach Syrup
- 1.16 lb peaches, peeled and chopped (about 3 large peaches or 2 cups chopped)
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup sugar (regular sugar, brown sugar, honey, or a sugar-free option like erythritol or stevia)
Lemonade
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (juice of about 2 lemons)
- 3 cups water (can be water, sparkling water, coconut water, or a combination including alcohol, around 1/4 cup)
Garnishes
- Lemon slices from one lemon
- Peach slices (optional)
- Mint leaves (optional)
- Ice cubes (optional)
Instructions
- Make the Peach Syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine the peeled and chopped peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 cups water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar.
- Simmer the Peaches: Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the peaches become very soft and mushy, releasing their juice and flavor into the syrup.
- Cool and Strain: Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the peach mixture to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Then strain the syrup through a fine sieve, pressing to extract about 1 cup of peach syrup and discarding the solids.
- Prepare the Lemon Juice: Juice 2 lemons to yield about 1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice. Optionally zest the lemons before juicing, reserving the zest for other uses or garnish.
- Combine the Lemonade: In a large pitcher, mix together the peach syrup, fresh lemon juice, and 3 cups of water (sparkling water or other liquids as desired). Stir well to blend all flavors evenly.
- Adjust to Taste: Taste the lemonade and adjust the sweetness, citrus, or dilution by adding more syrup, lemon juice, or water as preferred. For serving, add ice cubes directly to individual glasses to keep the batch from becoming watered down.
- Optional Garnish: Add lemon slices, peach slices, and mint leaves to the pitcher or glasses for an attractive presentation and additional flavor.
- Make Ahead and Storage: The peach syrup can be prepared up to several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The finished peach lemonade can be kept refrigerated for 5 to 7 days. If fresh fruit or herbs are added as garnish, replace these daily, and aim to consume within 1-2 days for best freshness.
Notes
- You can substitute sugar with brown sugar, honey, or a sugar-free sweetener like erythritol or stevia according to preference.
- Sparkling water or coconut water can replace still water for a fizzy or tropical twist.
- Adjust the water amount based on desired sweetness and intensity of flavor.
- Adding ice directly to glasses rather than the pitcher prevents diluting the entire batch.
- The lemon zest can be saved to garnish drinks or flavor desserts.
- Use ripe, fragrant peaches for the best flavor.
- Store leftover syrup and lemonade in airtight containers in the fridge to maintain freshness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Boiling and Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (8 oz)
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 0.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: peach lemonade, peach drink, homemade lemonade, summer drink, refreshing beverage, peach syrup, lemon juice
