If you haven’t already put sun tea on your summer bucket list, here’s your nudge to do so. I didn’t grow up with this awesome tradition so I’m starting it now. If you’re like me and didn’t grow up with the magic of the sun brewing your tea, I’m going to show you how to make your own at home.
I wanted to make a classic black tea with a touch of sweetness. It’s not quite a sweet tea, but it’s also not unsweetened. Lets call it something in between. I used decaf black tea packets and tied them together while the sun did all the work for me.
I used agave nectar to sweeten it up a bit. Granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup would have worked as well. I was afraid the granules might make the texture of the tea a bit weird so I opted for a liquid sweetener, but it’s all a matter of preference.
There is no stovetop or electricity required since the sun is doing all of the work for you. Tie the tea packets together, add sweetener of choice if using and place the tea in the direct sun for 2-3 hours until it’s fully brewed. Give it a taste and if it’s not sweet enough, add some more sweetener until it tastes just right. Store the tea in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
SUN TEA RECIPE
Ingredients
- 5 black tea bags (I used decaf)
- 8 cups of spring water
- 2 tablespoons of agave nectar (optional)
Directions
- In a large pitcher, pour water over the tea bags and add sweetener of choice (optional).
- Place the pitcher in the direct sun for 2-3 hours until the tea has fully brewed.
- Give the tea a taste and add more sweetener as needed until you’ve achieved your desired sweetness (optional).
- Enjoy!