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I heard that June is Ice-T Month.
So let’s all sit back and enjoy a few episodes of Law and Order: SVU.
But surely I jest, June is actually Iced Tea Month. And with all the sunshine we’ve been having, I thought it would be a good time to send over some Sun Tea ideas.
The best thing about making sun tea is that you can make a large batch of iced tea without having to turn on your stovetop and heat up the kitchen.
To make sun tea, simply fill a large glass container with fresh water and add 8 tea bags (or teaspoons of tea) per gallon. If your container isn’t gallon-sized, you’ll just have to do the math to figure out how much tea to use. But you’re smart, I know you can do it.
The kind of tea you use is entirely up to you. I prefer a basic black tea, but feel free to try any type of tea you have on hand. You can even experiment with blending 2 or more kinds.
Once the tea is in the water, cover the container and set it out in the sun. The amount of time it will take for the tea to steep in the sun is based on several factors:
How hot is it outside?
What kind of tea are you using?
How large is your jug of tea?
Did you remember to take the tea out of the tin?
How dark do you like your tea?
Did a solar flare occur in the past few minutes?
You can experiment to find what works best for you, but a good general timeframe to start with is between 2-3 hours of sunshine. Once the sun tea is the color and flavor you’re going for, remove the tea, chill, and sweeten if you so desire. Lemon is a perfect addition to sun tea and the addition of fresh mint creates an especially refreshing twist
Mint isn’t the only herb you can add to your iced tea – just about any herbs and spices* you can think of will complement the natural aroma of tea leaves and add rich, memorable flavors to your glass. Basil, thyme, lemon verbena, and ginger will all taste great stirred into a pitcher of your favorite iced tea!
*You might want to pass on the Cumin and Red Pepper Flakes.