One of my favorite memories growing up is my mom making sun tea in our backyard. So in honor of National Iced Tea Day, we decided to make SUN TEA!!! There is just something about tea steeped in the sun that just makes me think of summer.
When I was growing up, you could always find a jar of tea steeping on someone's porch or backyard. Nowadays, less so. People have steered away from sun tea because of the bacteria risk. And while, yes, there is a risk - the water does not get hot enough to kill the bacteria found in tap water, jar or tea bags - there are a few things you can do to reduce the risk. I always wash the jar with soap and water, use distilled water and run my tea bags under boiling water before placing them in the jars. I know ... these are extra steps but if you know me, you'll know I tend to err on the side of caution.
If you haven't made sun tea before, it's super easy. All you need is a glass jar, tea bags, distilled water, and sunshine. I use half-gallon Mason jars for my sun tea and typically make a couple of batches at a time - one straight tea and one infused tea. I throw in 3 to 4 tea bags per half-gallon jar, add distilled water and leave in the sun for about three hours. Easy peasy. After its done steeping, I'll pull the bags out and place in the fridge or serve it right over a glass of ice.
Straight sun tea is delicious but once in awhile, I like to spice it up and infuse my tea with a little bit of flavor. Below are some of my favorite concoctions:
What are some of your favorite combinations?
Enjoy!!
juli
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