I’ll admit it. Until this weekend I’d never made Sun Tea. I’ve made ice tea using powders and countless pitchers of Kool-Aid from packets, but never sun tea. As the temperature rose this weekend, pitchers like these emerged from nearly every home in our neighborhood as people planted flowers and mowed stringy lawns. The sun got hot and the brilliant amber glow was shared over conversation and barbecues. I love our neighborhood in spring. Everyone was doing something outside.
I love sweet tea in the summer. It’s so refreshing without all the sugary carbonation of soda, and you can never run out of flavors and ways to enhance it. The above is a sweet peach tea and I have about 10 other flavors waiting in my pantry. All you need is 3-4 tea bags, a little sugar and a 2- quart jar with lids (don’t make any more than you can reasonably drink in a day or two). Throw the tea bags in with the sugar, add water and stir before placing out in the sun. Pull inside after 2-3 hours and stir again before placing in the refrigerator (for safety). Add ice to a glass (and more sugar to your tastes) and serve. You can also garnish it with fresh herbs like mint or fruit slices. It’s quintessentially summer in a glass.
How do you mark the beginning of summer?
Nothing beats sun tea. In fact, I’m going to make some right now! Thanks for the idea 🙂
Enjoy! If the weather there is anything like here, it will be the highlight of your day!
I agree! Except for that part of poisoning perfectly good tea with sugar! 🙂
Tea is great. In the winter, when you don’t have the luck of having a lot of good sun, heating it up on the stove is great too. Fill up your tea kettle, add 3-4 teabags, heat till boiling. Fill the pitcher about 1/2 full with Ice. Pour the hot tea over the ice. (make sure you use a plastic pitcher, otherwise you will crack a glass one) It dilutes it so its not too strong and you have ‘fresh’ tea. Far better then instant powder tea.