National Iced Tea Day is June 10 and Coryanne from our Kitchen Council is helping us celebrate the holiday with a recipe for refreshing Peach Iced Tea with Roasted Sweet Cherries.
Living in Texas means one thing: peaches and iced tea will be served every day from now until Labor Day; and not a single person will ever tire of them, especially when they are served together. I was never a huge fan of iced tea until I started to play with sweetening my iced tea fruits. My first summer in Texas was a half-hearted attempt to love lemonade and iced tea blended, but by our second summer I fell in love with iced tea after mashing a fresh from the tree peach into a mason jar filled with iced cold tea. That juicy burst of fresh peach is heavenly with the bitterness of tea, but when you use those two flavors as a base for a fruity ice tea, the recipes are and the joy of drinking tea are endless. By far my favorite combination is peaches, cherries and lemons – there is something utterly irresistible about tart lemons, and the unmistakable sweetness that comes from fresh tangy summer cherries and the sweet juice of peaches.
To keep from diluting my iced tea I often make a batch of iced tea cubes to add to my tea to keep the flavor strong, rather than watered down by more water. And for an added touch of cold, especially if you are hosting big summer party, try adding frozen slices of fresh lemon, cherries and peaches to the mix. All you need to do is slice up your fresh fruit the night before, lay it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and then top with the fresh fruit. Cover with a second sheet of parchment paper and then allow them to freeze overnight. By the time you start mixing your party pitcher of iced tea, drop in the freshly frozen fruit instead of ice cubes. Not only does it look festive, it keeps that burst of cherry, lemon and peach alive and cold, even on the hottest of summer days. For more freezing tips for cherries, check out this post.
From our front porch in Texas to your, cheers! Summer has arrived and hydration is key, do as we do in Texas and carry tea.
Coryanne used to be known for burning rice and serving undercooked sausages, but with a growing family to feed, she slowly saw her cooking disasters transform into tiny victories and a true passion for food and entertaining. Today, she’s a food and lifestyle expert and lady behind Kitchen Living with Coryanne. She lives in Dallas with her husband, their 3 children, a rather spoiled rescue pup, an old but graceful cat, and two feisty chickens. Her favorite Stemilt fruit is Artisan Organics nectarines.