How to Make Sun Tea

A tinge of nostalgia enters the conversation whenever the topic of sun tea comes up. “I remember my grandma always started a jar in the morning,” one friend recalls. “She set it on the sidewalk and my sister and I would watch impatiently as the sun slowly turned the water the exact amber color my grandma wanted for her daily glasses of iced tea.”

This beverage is as simple to make as it sounds: put tea bags in a glass jar filled with water and set the jar out in the sun for 4 hours. Remove the bags, sweeten if desired, pour tea over ice and drink. Many summer days have been hydrated by sunlight powered tea. Lately, however, there has been some concern over the safety of said brew even though there haven’t been any widespread cases of food poisoning caused by drinking it. 

Why is sun tea considered risky to drink? The sun only heats the water to about 130 degrees, not quite hot enough to kill any of the bacteria that forms once the tea starts brewing, and that may be the ideal temperature to encourage growth. Here are some tips for safely brewing sun tea: 

1. Use filtered or spring water.
2. Add sweetener after the tea has finished steeping.
3. Put the jar of tea in the refrigerator immediately after removing the bags.
4. Discard any remaining tea after 24 hours.

To make a jar of sun tea, place 8 bags of your favorite tea in a gallon jar and fill with filtered or spring water. Cover loosely with the cap. Place the jar in full sunshine. Steep 4 hours, or until desired strength. Remove and discard tea bags. Sweeten the tea with simople syrup, sugar, honey or agave  to taste. Refrigerate tea in airtight container. 

To serve, fill glasses with ice and pour in tea. Garnish with lemon or mint. Discard any leftover tea after 24 hours.