Recipe for Tasty, Refreshing Sun Tea

Sun Tea is tea that is "brewed" by using the warmth of the sun instead of boiling water on a stove. This type of tea is simple, economical, and environmentally friendly because it is made naturally. No extra electric or gas energy is used in the process. The water is warmed by solar energy. It also holds a legacy of being used for generations across diverse cultures.

Making sun tea is one of my favorite summer pastimes. I make my own unique brew that is naturally sweetened with honey. It is a recipe developed from the methods used by my aunt and by other relatives and friends over the years. Now I would like to share it with you.

Materials and Ingredients

1 Large glass jar or beverage serving jar

Enough water to fill the jar

3 or 4 tea bags

1 cinnamon stick

1 lemon

Peppermint leaves

2 T. organic honey (or agave nectar)

1. Fill a jar of water 2/3 to 3/4 of the way with water.

2. Open 3 or 4 tea bags and tie them together, then take off the tags. If the bags do not have a tag or string, just let them float on the surface. I often drop a cinnamon stick in at this point.

3. Place the jar on a ledge of your patio or deck that receives lots of direct sunlight. Leave it there for several hours, until the desired strength is reached.

4. With clean hands, take the tea bags out of the water and add them to your compost pile if they are organic.

5. To the tea, add a tablespoon or two of honey, several rinsed mint leaves, and half of a lemon sliced thin. The mint leaves and lemon slices make a pretty garnish.

6. Fill up the rest of the jar with ice cubes.

7. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

A big jar of this tea is a perfect beverage to bring to a large gathering on a hot summer day. Most recently, I made a batch for a bunch of my neighbors when I attended a BBQ on July 4th. Have fun trying different tea flavors, or a combination of flavors. and varying the type of fruit used. Give free reign to your creativity!