Southern Sun Tea

Yesterday, it was 105 in the shade. And it's still June which means over the next two months who knows where the temperature will go. Trying to stay positive about this heat...it's time to make sun tea.

Around here in the South, most of us have grown up on sun tea. Simply, it is tea brewed by the sun. It has a different taste. Possibly tastes different because it's slow brewed? I don't know. I just know it's good. Lately, I hear a lot of bad press about it. They say it's dangerous and because it is done so slow it just breeds bacteria. Not true. I lived on it as well as most people I know. No one has ever had a problem with it. It is perfectly safe as long as you use a little common sense. It will not last as long as boiled tea. I would say two days, maybe three. Normally it doesn't last that long anyway.

To start, you need to buy a sun tea pitcher. These can be difficult to find now and you may have to order one. Lately it seems they are becoming plastic. You want a glass one instead. The plastic brews chemicals into your tea, it doesn't heat the same, just trust me when I say stay away from the plastic ones. If you can't find one, or don't want to brew as much because your family will not drink it you can use Mason jars to brew individual servings.



To Brew:

Fill your jar (it's probably a 2-quart) with water. I like to use pure water, nothing from the tap. It will taste better. Add 4-6 tea bags. If you wish to mix it up you can replace a few of the bags with herbal tea bags. Place in direct sun and leave for 3-5 hours depending on size of jar and desired tea strength. The tea will be more mellow than regular brewed tea. You may have to move it around in the yard to keep in direct sun. Once it is brewed you may take the bags out or leave them in and place it immediately in the fridge.



Fill your cup, add ice and whatever fruit you may want and enjoy!!