Sun tea.

I would’ve never thought that snapping a pic of sun tea would be so challenging.  Every shot I took… eh!  Oh well.  I wanted to get the post up while the sun is shining and the temps are rising.  Sun tea is one of those fun recipes you can make with the kids requiring just the power of the sun!  You can use whatever tea you enjoy and this can be made on a nice hot day in a matter of hours.  Sweetening is optional and I’ll give you some suggestions on doing that below.  Green tea also works really well.   Happy Summer!

Ingredients:

1 clear glass container that the sun can penetrate (size can vary) – 4-8 cups of water
Fresh purified water
5-8 tea bags of your choice
Optional:  honey, agave, maple syrup, simple syrup, stevia
Mint leaves if making mint tea

Directions:

This isn’t an exact science.  I normally fill my large Weck jars with 90% filled cold filtered water and add 6 or so mint tea bags.  I cover and place in the sun for 2-3 hours or until the tea is a beautiful golden brown.  I bring it inside and remove the tea bags.  I then add a 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and a handful of fresh mint leaves.  Place the lid back on and refrigerate until serving.  Prior to serving, I shake a bit and then pour into ice-filled glasses.  Enjoy!

You can choose not to sweeten your tea, it’s your preference.  I provided some sweet ideas above.  To make a simple syrup – mix equal parts sugar and water and bring to a boil over a low/medium flame in a sauce pan.  Stir until it boils and the sugar is melted. Remove and let it cool.  Add as much as you like to the tea to achieve your desired flavor.

— Knead to Cook