Summer is in full swing already in Southern California and with it comes dreams of delicious cold brewed teas. I’ve been making a lot of my cooling summer tea to help get me through the heavy afternoon heat. It’s moistening and refreshing making it perfect for hot weather! This year however, I have the opportunity to collect fresh peach leaves and let me tell you, peach leaf tea is LIFE!
It’s incredibly delicious with a mild peachy flavor that calms the nerves and moistens hot dry tissues from the inside out. You can add fresh or dried rose petals to the mix to add a luxurious boost that’s both tasty and cooling for hot summer days. You can even pair it with fresh ginger on cold mornings to stave off dryness in the winter months as well.
Peach Leaf Tea is Amazing and Here’s Why
Peach in and of itself is a very healing plant indeed! Almost the entirety of the tree can be used for medicine making and it all tastes delicious. The pits can be tossed into brandy after being gently dried in the shade or thrown in with a little peach flesh still slinging to the pits. The flavor of peach pit infused brandy is out of this world! It is often used for bug bites, nausea, moderate allergic reactions, morning sickness, digestive upset like heartburn, anxiety, headaches, speedy heart rate associated with anxiety, wounds, overheatedness, irritation both mentally and physically, and tons more! I like to use it to help control moodiness, anxiety attacks, and PMS symptoms and it totally works. Peach leaf will work the same way to a milder degree.
Sounds really similar to rose medicine doesn’t it? Well, if you caught on to that similarity then you’re right because peach is actually in the rose family! Just like rose, peach will instigate a very calming and soothing effect on people, sometimes verging on the sleepy side! However, using the leaves in a tea doesn’t always instill this sense of overt relaxation. If it does, then I just trust that the herb knows what my body needs and just concede to its healing whims. Sometimes the herbs know better than I!
In summer, I turn to fresh peach leaf tea to help not only with keeping cool, but for times when I find myself clenching my jaw or fists in frustration or when I notice tension that’s manifested by feeling overheated, really irritated, or overt thirst. It also helps with chronic burnout associated with intense focus and ongoing negative emotions.
Doesn’t peach in general just sound amazing?
Peach Leaf Tea Recipe
Now that you know many of the amazing benefits of peach leaf tea, it’s time to learn how to make your own. If you’re lucky enough to have your own peach tree, then you’re set! If you don’t, you may need to do some local foraging.
Here’s what you’re going to need:
• A handful of fresh peach leaves that are clean and free from debris, mold, or anything else unsavory
• Spring water
• A large jar
How to Make Peach Leaf Tea
During the summer, this recipe is super easy! All you have to do is put clean fresh peach leaves in a large jar and cover them with water. Cap the jar and put it out in the sun for several hours to steep.
Next, strain the tea and serve it over ice if desired.
[yumprint-recipe id=’113′]Have you ever made peach leaf tea? What did you think of it?
Here’s some more amazing peach leaf recipes:
Endless Ice Cream: Peach Leaf
Cold-Infused Peach Leaf and Rose Tea
Vin de peche: Peach Leaf Wine
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Fresh peach leaf contains high levels of amygdalin which turns into cyanide when combined with digestive enzymes. Do you know of a safe way to process peach leaves to get the benefits? Maybe drying and then making a hot (boiling) tea? I’ve seen tinctured peach leaf as well – are they processing in a special way or just ignoring the cyanide hazard?
Thanks
Hi June!
I’ve heard that heat doesn’t destroy amygdalin, so making a hot tea from the leaves won’t work in that regard. I have always read that peach (all its parts) is best processed cold through cold infusion and tincturing. I’m actually a huge fan of tincturing because you can very easily control the dose AND you can tell through taste if your batch of peach leaf or peach kernel tincture has the telltale bitter flavor of cyanide. The body (under healthy conditions) is well equipt to process small doses of cyanide without any issue.
I have also read that when making the tincture at least, it takes 10 days for any hydrocyanic acid to be released.
Again, this all comes to personal preference. I follow herbalists I trust who have used peach leaf, twigs, and pits to good and safe effect. I highly recommend you do your own research and decide for yourself if peach leaf is a medicine you want to use. It’s sort of in the same boat as using comfrey internally or taking kava kava root.
Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful!
Are you aware of any toxicity concerns, such as with fresh Peach pits?
Yep! 🙂
Hi, I’ve been trying for weeks to get peach leaf tea. where can I gt some some peach leaf?
Hi there!
I’m not sure where you can buy peach leaf. I usually wild craft it 🙂 Just make sure it hasn’t been sprayed! Perhaps someone you know has a peach tree? Best of luck!
I got peach trees