Mote con Huesillos (Chilean Peach Drink)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Dried peaches (huesillos)
• 1 cup Wheat kernels (mote)
• 6 cups Water
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 each Cinnamon stick
• 1 strip Lemon peel

Instructions

1. 1Rinse the 1 cup of dried peaches (huesillos) in a fine-mesh sieve under cool running water until the water runs clear. In a separate fine-mesh sieve, rinse the 1 cup of wheat kernels (mote) under cool running water until clean.
2. 2In a large heavy-bottomed pot, combine the rinsed 1 cup of dried peaches and 4 cups of water. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a rolling boil, reaching 212°F (100°C). Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the dried peaches are visibly plump and very soft when pressed with a spoon.
3. 3While the peaches are simmering, in a separate medium saucepan, combine the rinsed 1 cup of wheat kernels (mote) and the remaining 2 cups of water. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat, reaching 212°F (100°C), then reduce the heat to low. Cover the saucepan and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the wheat kernels are tender and chewy. Carefully drain any excess water from the cooked wheat kernels and set them aside.
4. 4Carefully pour the contents of the peach pot through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean large pot, separating the liquid from the softened dried peaches. Discard the softened dried peaches.
5. 5Add the 1/2 cup of sugar, the 1 cinnamon stick, and the 1 strip of lemon peel to the peach-infused liquid in the clean large pot. Place the pot over medium heat, stirring gently until the 1/2 cup of sugar has completely dissolved. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, maintaining a temperature between 185-205°F (85-96°C), and let it cook for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Carefully remove and discard the 1 cinnamon stick and the 1 strip of lemon peel from the syrup.
6. 6Divide the cooked 1 cup of wheat kernels (mote) evenly among 4 serving glasses, placing approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons into the bottom of each glass. If desired, add a few of the softened dried peaches (from the discard pile in step 4) on top of the wheat kernels in each glass.
7. 7Pour the warm sweet peach syrup evenly over the wheat kernels and peaches in each of the 4 glasses. Allow the drinks to cool completely to room temperature, which will take about 30-60 minutes. Once cooled, cover the glasses and chill them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving; this ensures the flavors fully develop and the drink becomes refreshingly cold.

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