Sun tea is a technique of brewing a large batch of iced tea without having to use a stove. If you’re unfamiliar, the heat of the sun draws out flavors from the leaves and steeps the tea over the course a few hours. According to the Tea Association of the USA, iced tea makes up 85% of tea drunk in America. So what are you waiting for?
The key is using a freshly cleaned glass jar with a metal lid and placing it in direct sunlight for the duration of the brewing process. Bringing it inside before it’s done can mess with the brewing process.
There’s been some controversy regarding sun tea being safe because bacteria can grow since the water doesn’t reach a temperature of 190 degrees or more. But if you’re using distilled or filtered water, there should be no problems.
What you’ll need
- 4-6 regular sized tea bags
- 10 cups filtered or distilled water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 nice, hot, sunny day
Begin by placing the tea bags into a 3 quart clear container with a lid. I used 5 bags of Tazo wild sweet orange. Add water. The best choice is a glass jar with a metal screw-top lid since metal attracts heat. Gallon sized glass jars can be hard to find, so make sure you hunt for one ahead of time.
Let the container of tea sit in direct sunlight for 4-5 hours or until the tea reaches the desired strength. Don’t let sit for more than 5 hours.
Remove the tea bags and discard. Add sugar if you’d like to sweeten, or skip this step if you prefer unsweetened. Add ice and stir.
Garnish with lemons or orange slices if you’d like.
Refrigerate and drink within 2 days. Throw away any tea that has turned thick and syrupy.
That’s it!
Stevie Carr can be reached at [email protected]