Southern tea brewed by the sun?!
Answers: My aunt said that I can brew tea outside, using the sun... How?
Great Question! ... It's called "Sun Brewed Tea" and it is possible to brew tea using the sun... Here is some information that will help you. I use this myself.
Iced Tea
Iced tea! What a fabulous beverage. It's funny to me how tea is so widely accepted throughout the world yet most people (especially those outside of the U.S.) will only drink it hot. Don't get me wrong I love hot beverages, just, not all the time.
I also love the fact that I can drink iced tea as sweet...or as unsweet as I'm in the mood for. Yes, sometimes I like it sweet, sometimes not. Sometimes I'll put lemon or mint, and sometimes just plain. Call me fickle, but I don't care. Besides, I drink for satisfaction and pleasure, not to be politically correct.
History Tidbit
Back in 1904, Americans mostly drank green tea from China. At the St. Louis World's Fair, an Englishman by the name of Richard Blechynden was trying to introduce Americans to the new India and Ceylon black tea.
There happened to be a heat wave going on at the time and lines were not forming to try this steamy hot beverage. After a few days of frustration, he tried adding ice to the tea in order to entice people to try it.
It was the hit of the fair and a new way of drinking tea had instantly taken hold!
A Little about Cloudiness
Most types of teas seem to be better off served hot. Some teas actually taste funny cold, while others turn out cloudy. The cloudiness won't hurt you and it doesn't affect the taste, only the appearance.
If you want your tea to be clear, try buying tea that is specially blended for iced tea. It will have fewer tannins, which is what causes the cloudiness.
If you brew your tea with hot water, let it cool to room temperature before adding ice. If your tea turns out cloudy, try adding a little bit of boiling water or a little lemon juice. This will sometimes help.
Tip: Make iced tea stronger than regular tea to compensate for dilution from the ice.
Quick Brewing Instructions
To brew a quart, place either 4 to 5 bags or teaspoons of loose tea in a pitcher. Bring 2 cups of cold, tap water or filtered water to a boil. Pour the boiling water directly over the tea and steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove tea bags or strain and then add 2 more cups of cold water. Serve over ice.
Sun Brewed Iced Tea
Fill a container with 4 cups of cold water, preferably filtered. Place 6 bags or 6 teaspoons of tea and cover or cap lightly. Place in direct sunlight for 2 to 4 hours (depending on desired strength). Remove bags or strain and serve over ice.
Cold Water Method
Fill a container with 4 cups of cold water, preferably filtered. Place 6 bags or 6 teaspoons of tea and cover or cap lightly. Place in the refrigerator for 8 hours. Remove bags or strain and serve over ice.
Sun Tea Recipe
Ingredients
3 to 4 – Large Tea Bags, Lipton or Luzianne
1 – 1 Gallon Glass Jar With Lid
Sugar or Honey To Taste
Water
Mixing Instructions
Fill the one gallon jar with fresh cold water. Add your tea bags and close the lid tightly. Place the jar outside in direct sunlight. It's best to place your jar in a protected area.
Now let the warmth of the sun's rays slowly brew your tea. Next steep the tea in water for 3-4 hours. Depending on how strong you want the tea to be you can leave the tea in direct sunlight all day.
The water will turn golden brown as the tea brews. Once the tea has strengthened to your liking remove it from the sunlight. Remove the tea bags from the tea. Sweeten to taste with honey or sugar. Place jar in the refrigerator and allow the tea to chill until it's cold.
Serve your tea over ice. If desired serve with a slice of lemon.
yea its called sun tea
Put 4 to 6 tea bags into a clean 2 quart glass container. Fill with water and cap. Place outside where the sunlight can strike the container for about 3 to 5 hours. Move the container if necessary to keep it in the sun. When the tea has reached its desired strength, remove from sun and put it in the refrigerator. You may or may not want to remove the tea bags at this point. I usually don't.
The tea will probably taste more mellow than what you are used to from using boiling water. The slow seeping has a way of bringing out a slightly different flavor from the tea. Also, because you didn't use boiling water, you should refrigerate the tea and drink it up pretty quickly - a day or two. It will not keep as well as iced tea made from boiling water.
