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–+ servings
peach leaf switchel in a tall glass with lemons on a table

Best Switchel Recipe for Hot Weather

Homestead Lady Tessa Zundel
Make this switchel recipe for hot weather with fresh peach leaves, water, and a few other basic ingredients. If you're watching your carbs, you can substitute the sweetener with stevia drops.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 1 Blender
  • 1 Fine Mesh Sieve
  • 1 Gallon jar or pitcher
  • 1 Citrus juicer

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Handfuls Fresh Peach Leaves, Rinsed
  • 1/2 Gallon Unchlorinated Water
  • 3 Tbsp. Molasses, Maple Syrup, or Raw Honey May also use 4-8 drops of stevia
  • 1/2 tsp. Powdered Ginger May use 1 tsp. shredded fresh ginger
  • Dash Cayenne and Sea Salt, optional
  • 3 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice, optional
  • 1 Cup Bubbly Water Kefir, optional

Instructions
 

  • Strip the peach leaves from the branches if using the blender method. If you're making sun tea or a hot water decoction, you may include the twigs.
  • Shake the leaves to rid them of debris. Discard any discolored leaves. Rinse.
  • Add 2 handfuls of peach leaves to your blender body and fill with 1/2 gallon of unchlorinated water.
  • Blend on high until thoroughly macerated and chopped into tiny bits. It should be a bright green color and smell like slightly sweet almonds.
  • Strain out the leaf bits with a fine mesh sieve and place the peach leaf "tea" into a half gallon jar or pitcher.
  • Add the 3 Tbsp. of Molasses or preferred sweetener. Taste test and add more, if needed.
  • Add the 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger (or 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger), along with the pinch of cayenne and sea salt. Stir vigorously until combined fully (especially if using powdered ginger).
  • Add the 3 Tbsp. of fresh lemon juice and 1 cup of active water kefir. Stir. Taste test.
  • Refrigerate for an hour to cool and serve over ice. Or swig it from the jar.

Notes

The peach leaves have a natural almond smell and flavor. Taste test this recipe several times and tweak it to suit your taste.
  • The most mild leaves are harvested in the spring after they appear fully on the tree. However, the more mature leaves of summer are delicious, as well.
Instead of blending the peach leaves and water, you can make a simple sun tea. See the blog for more instructions.
If you're using dried peach leaves, cover 1 handful with boiling water in tea pot and allow it to steep for 4-6 hours. Or you may use dried peach leaves in a sun tea, as well.
  • Use half the amount of dried leaves as you would fresh leaves.
Feel free to use your favorite sweetener. If you like coconut sugar or raw sugar, experiment with them and see how you like the flavor.
  • You may want to add a little bit more sweetener to your children's version of this recipe if they find the peach leaves a bit bitter.
Historically, the ginger was added for zing - it gave the switchel a little bite, along with the vinegar. I like both fresh and powdered ginger in this switchel recipe.
The cayenne is a pain reliever and the sea salt provides precious trace minerals that get depleted as we sweat. (The ginger is also an anti-inflammatory, like the cayenne.)
  • Drink this switchel recipe one cup at a time to see how it goes down and to see if you have any adverse reaction to the peach leaves. Peach leaves have historically been used as both a laxative and a relaxing tea.
If your body needs the bathroom right away or needs to lay down and sleep, then you know you can only sip this switchel recipe.
  • You may always omit the peach leaves and simply include all the other ingredients to make a traditional switchel recipe.
Refrigerate for up to a week. After that, the ingredients begin to ferment, which will make it less palatable. Also, the peach leaf tea starts get a little bitter for my taste.
Keyword Ferments, Probiotics, Summer Drink
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!