Ingredients :

• The peaches — Perfectly ripe peaches are what truly changes everything here. A peach that is still firm and pale inside will give almost no fragrance to the syrup — just a vague sweet taste. You want a peach that yields under your thumb, with bright orange flesh. If it’s not the season, canned peaches in their juice (not in heavy syrup) make an honest substitution.
• The lemons — Count on about 8 lemons to get the 240 ml of juice you need. Roll them firmly on the countertop before cutting — this breaks the small internal pockets and you easily get 20% more juice. Look for bright yellow lemons, heavy for their size. Avoid ones that are too green, as they are often more bitter.
• The sugar — Classic white sugar. No brown sugar, no honey — they have their own aromas and will overpower the delicate fragrance of the peach. The goal here is a neutral syrup that lets the fruit express itself.
• The water — The recipe calls for between 1 liter and 1.25 liters — this range exists because you calibrate the intensity. Start with 1 liter, taste, and dilute if needed. Filtered or soft mineral water gives a slightly cleaner result than very hard tap water.