Growing up in rural Midwestern United States, my mom made many things from scratch as we didn’t have a ton of money to purchase pre-made things. One of my favourite things she made during the summer time was Sun Tea.
What is Sun Tea?
Sun Tea is a type of iced tea where the tea is steeped in water under the sun rather than from boiling water. It has (in my opinion) a slightly gentler flavour, texture, and less astringent in your mouth than typical iced tea brewed in boiling water.
How to make Sun Tea
Ingredients:
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Tea of your choice – some of our favs are earl grey, English breakfast, peppermint, and peach herbal tea (Note: if you don’t want caffeine be sure to select an herbal or decaffeinated tea)
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Water
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1/2 tsp sugar – to reduce bitterness. You won’t taste it at all, promise.
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Optional: fresh mint, lemon slices, fresh peaches, strawberries, raspberries, cane sugar, maple syrup, honey
Photo via Jennifer Pallian on Unsplash
Directions:
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Make sure your jar is clean as a whistle. Sterilize and disinfect as such because bacteria can grow in warm conditions with organic things like tea.
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Take a 1 liter jar (1 quart) and fill ¾ full with water.
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Place 4-5 tea bags into the water, strings hanging out if the tea bags have strings. (If you are adding sweetener, I recommend adding it now so it infuses and dissolves in the water with the tea.)
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Put a lid on top if you like to prevent any debris from getting inside.
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Place the jar in direct sunlight for 3-4 hours until the water is the colour of caramel.
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Strain out and squeeze the tea bags.
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Refrigerate the jar for 3-4hrs then enjoy. Serve with a slice of lemon, ice, and your fav bio-degradable straw.
Image via Pinterest
Variations:
Sweet Sun Tea – Add cane sugar, maple syrup, or honey to the jar with the water and tea bags. Adding at this stage will help the sugars infuse within the tea instead of settling at the bottom if the sugar is added when it’s already cooled.
Lemon Sun Tea – Slice one lemon and place sliced lemons into the jar before adding the water and the tea bags. Serve with a fresh lemon slice.
Rose Sun Tea – Place dried rose buds into the jar before adding water and tea bags. Strain out the rose buds after the steeping period with the tea bags.
Peach Sun Tea – Slice two peaches and place into the jar before adding the water and the tea bags. Serve with a fresh peach slice.
Strawberry Mint Sun Tea – add fresh or dried chopped strawberries and fresh mint sprigs into the jar with the tea bags before putting in the sun. Strain out the used strawberries and mint before serving, and replace with fresh chopped strawberries. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint.
Have fun, be creative, and enjoy!
Sustainable Lifestyle Solutions is an interior design, professional organizing, and sustainable living firm in Vancouver, BC. We connect sustainable design and a zero waste lifestyle to transform our clients’ spaces so that their homes and offices can support them in achieving their goals and dreams while also improving their mental health and reducing environmental impact. We create beautiful, healthy spaces that are earth-friendly and can evolve with our clients over time.
