There really aren’t any huge secrets to making sun tea, you just need a nice warm sunny day and a few ingredients and you’ve got yourself some good sun tea. I’m not from the south but I’ve met people from the south who like their tea sweet. Now I like my tea sweet but wow they really like it sweet. It’s just so nice to have a big jug of tea in the refrigerator all summer. Ok, there’s not much to it so here’s how to make good sun tea!
How to make good sun tea:
Start out with cold water, you want to let the sun heat up the water and release all the flavor from the tea bags. I don’t have a preference about the brand of tea bags, I usually buy whatever is cheap. If you had some different flavors you could try mixing them altogether for a unique flavor. You need about 6-8 tea bags per gallon of water. Here’s my super-secret tip for making really good sun tea, wait for it……baking soda!!! Add a couple of pinches to the water before you put it outside to brew. It cuts any bitterness from the tea and gives it a really good flavor. Now just find a warm sunny spot for it outside and let the magic happen.
How long does it take to brew outside? Well, that depends on how hot it is outside and how dark you want your tea. If it’s a really hot day plan on 2-3 hours in the sun. If it’s not super hot outside it might take longer. I check the color of my tea, if it’s dark enough then it’s ready. If it’s still light colored then it needs more time. It’s really up to you and how you like your tea.
Once your tea is done brewing outside bring it in the house. If you like to sweeten your tea there are several options. If you pour granulated sugar in, all the crystals fall to the bottom and you just end up with a gritty bottom and not very sweet tea. I like to make simple syrup, it’s easy to make and it mixes well with the tea to sweeten. Some people use honey, try a quarter of a cup at a time, stir and taste, if you want it sweeter then add more. You could also try agave syrup. Both honey and agave are a bit sweeter than white granulated sugar so keep that in mind when adding your sweetener. Add lemon slices and mint leaves, I have a mint plant growing outside. I loving mashing mint leaves and adding them to my glass.
You might enjoy reading 20 ways to use Lemons & Limes around the house. The perfect sun tea is however you like it! You can’t mess it up. Go brew some tea and enjoy!
