Prepare the Peaches: Begin by bringing a small pan of water to a gentle boil. Score a small 'X' on the bottom of each peach with a sharp knife. Carefully lower the peaches into the boiling water for about 30-45 seconds. You'll see the skin starting to peel back slightly at the score marks. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Once cool enough to handle, the skins should slip off easily. Cut the peaches in half, remove the stones, and roughly chop the flesh into 2cm chunks.

Combine and Simmer: Place the chopped peaches, water, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest (and cinnamon or ginger, if using) into a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Give everything a good stir. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over a medium-high heat. You'll hear it start to bubble and see the sugar dissolving, turning the liquid from cloudy to clear.

Simmer to Extract Flavour: Once boiling, reduce the heat to low so the liquid is at a gentle simmer – just a few lazy bubbles breaking the surface. Let it cook for 20-25 minutes. During this time, the peaches will soften and break down, and the liquid will reduce slightly and become fragrant. The colour will deepen to a beautiful, rich golden-amber. You'll know it's ready when the peaches are very soft and the liquid has a slightly syrupy consistency.

Mash and Infuse: After simmering, remove the pan from the heat. Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, gently mash the softened peach chunks right in the pan. This releases even more of their flavour and colour into the syrup. Don't worry if there are a few small pieces left – that's fine.

Strain the Syrup: Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large heatproof bowl or a jug. Pour the peach mixture into the sieve. Use a spatula to gently press down on the solids in the sieve to extract every last bit of liquid. You should be left with a smooth, clear-ish syrup in the bowl and a dry pulp in the sieve. Discard the pulp.

Cool and Bottle: Let the syrup cool completely in the bowl at room temperature. As it cools, it will thicken slightly to a more classic syrup consistency. Once fully cool, pour the syrup into a clean, sterilised glass bottle or jar. You'll notice the beautiful, clear amber colour and the wonderfully peachy aroma.