When life gives you peaches ~ make peach lemonade! Sweet tart peach lemonade is sugar-optional, and so refreshing!
There comes a time in most of our summers when we’ve got more peaches than we know what to do with. It’s one of those delicious dilemmas we dream about for the other 11 months. Fresh peach lemonade is one answer to that problem. It’s a simple matter of making up a batch of the best homemade lemonade, and adding some peach puree to give it a fresh new flavor. Sound easy? It is!
got more peaches?
- Easy Peach Butter
- Buttermilk Peach Bread
- Easy Peach Cobbler
- The Easiest Peach Buckle Recipe!
- Ripe Peach Popsicles
- Brown Sugar Peach Cake
what you’ll need
- ripe peaches
- yellow peaches, white peaches, and nectarines (heck, even plums and apricots!) all work just as long as they’re ripe and juicy.
- lemons
- sugar is optional, in most cases the natural sweetness of the peaches will balance out the lemonade without the need for added sugar.
how to make peach lemonade
- Make peach puree. I don’t peel my peaches, the skin gives a beautiful color to the lemonade, but you can peel them if you like. I puree in a blender or food processor.
- Strain the puree. I do this through a mesh strainer. If you prefer you can skip the straining for a fruitier lemonade, but I think the final product looks much better when you strain.
- Mix peach puree with lemon juice and water. Taste and add sugar if necessary.
- Chill.
- Serve over ice.
the ratio of peach puree to lemonade?
I find that 1:4 or one part peach puree to 4 parts lemonade works well. For one quart of lemonade you’d need 1 cup of puree. Of course you don’t have to do it my way: fiddle with this ratio any way you like!
peach lemonade faqs
Can you use frozen or canned peaches? ~ Fresh is by far best, but frozen or canned will work.
Can you use store bought lemonade as the base? Yes, just buy a good one, I like Simply Lemonade.
Do you have to add sugar? No, in most cases the peaches will be sweet enough to balance out the lemonade. You can also use alternative sweeteners or honey.
Can I make the peach puree ahead? Peach puree will start to oxidize and turn brown, so if you want to make it ahead I would freeze it ~ freeze in ice cube trays and then pack in heavy duty freezer bags. Pop out the amount you need for future batches of peach lemonade.
How long will peach lemonade last? About 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
peach lemonade variations
Make peach-ade using all peach puree and just a bit of lemon juice to bring out the flavor.
Make a sparkling peach lemonade ~ don’t add water when you mix and chill the peach puree and lemon juice. Add sparkling water to each glass as you serve it for maximum fizz.
Make ginger peach lemonade ~ add a small piece of fresh ginger to the peaches before pureeing.
For basil peach lemonade ~ add a few leaves of fresh basil to the blender before pureeing the peaches. I’ve done this flavor combo with sangria.
Add raspberries for a peach melba lemonade ~ puree them along with the peaches and/or add them separately to your glasses.
Can I make this a frozen drink? Yes, freeze the finished peach lemonade in ice cube trays and then blend until slushy. Another method is to freeze it flat in heavy duty zip lock baggies and the break the sheets apart before blending.
Add vodka or gin ~ for a peach lemonade summer cocktail!
peach lemonade is a healthy soda alternative
Get your group hooked on peach lemonade instead of soda, diet soda, or even flavored waters. Peaches are a good source of vitamins A and C, dietary fiber, and antioxidants. Lemon juice provides vitamin C.
more summery drinks
Peach Lemonade
Equipment
- food processor or blender
- mesh strainer, jelly bag or nut milk bag
Ingredients
- 5 fresh ripe peaches, plus more for optional garnish
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 qt filtered water
- sugar to taste, only if necessary
garnish, optional
- peach slices
- fresh mint
Instructions
- Wash and pit the peaches. Cut them in large chunks and puree until completely smooth in a food processor or blender.
- Strain the mixture through a nylon jelly bag or a mesh strainer, pushing through as much peach puree as you can and discard the solids. You should have at least 1¼ cups of puree.
- Mix the lemon juice and water along with the peach puree. Don't add all of the puree at once, you may not need it all.
- Stir to combine and taste to see if you'd like to add sugar to sweeten. Refrigerate until cold.
- Serve over ice with fresh mint and peach slices, if desired.
