Fresh Peach Lemonade Drink (Printer-friendly)
Refreshing blend of ripe peaches and tangy lemon, ready in 15 minutes for cooling down on hot days.
# What You Need:
→ Fruit
01 - 3 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
02 - 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)
→ Sweetener
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste; honey or agave as an alternative)
→ Liquids
04 - 4 cups cold water
05 - 1 cup sparkling water or club soda (optional, for effervescence)
→ Garnish
06 - Ice cubes, as needed
07 - Peach slices and lemon wheels, for garnish
08 - Fresh mint leaves (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - In a blender, combine the sliced peaches and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Blend on high until completely smooth and no chunks remain.
02 - Pour the peach-lemon puree through a fine mesh sieve into a large pitcher. Press firmly with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the retained solids.
03 - Add the granulated sugar to the pitcher and stir thoroughly until fully dissolved into the peach-lemon mixture.
04 - Pour in the cold water along with the sparkling water or club soda if using. Stir well to fully combine all the ingredients.
05 - Taste the lemonade and adjust the sweetness or acidity as needed by adding more sugar or lemon juice to suit your preference.
06 - Fill serving glasses with ice cubes. Pour the peach lemonade over the ice and garnish each glass with peach slices, lemon wheels, and fresh mint leaves. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It comes together in fifteen minutes flat with no heat required, which is a blessing when you cannot bear to turn on the stove.
- The color alone, that sunset gold, makes people think you fussed far more than you actually did.
02 -
- If you skip the straining step you will end up with a gritty texture that feels more like a smoothie than a lemonade. Take the extra two minutes.
- Peaches oxidize quickly once blended, so this lemonade is brightest and most flavorful on the day you make it. Stir well before serving if it sits in the fridge because separation is natural.
03 -
- Peel peaches by scoring an X on the bottom, dropping them in boiling water for thirty seconds, then straight into an ice bath. The skins slide off like magic.
- Make a double batch of the peach puree and freeze it. Thawed in January, it will taste like bottled summer.