Brewing Sun Tea Can Be Safe, But How?

You know (by now) my love of tea came from my grandmother. Sitting at her table enjoying a cup of hot tea (and lots of sugar cubes). My mother, on the other hand, had a different approach to tea. Sun tea! On a bright summer day, she gathered her items and placed them in a sun tea jar on the table on the patio. Sun tea was a delight. The flavor was different from other teas. I never knew of any sun tea dangers. To me what made sun tea great was that unique. She had a secret, but what was it?

What is sun tea

My mother made sun tea around the 1970s. That is a long way off from 1908, the year sun tea was invented. Imagine sun tea in the 1900s? There were no tea bags. Teabags were invented by Thomas Sullivan in 1908. While we don’t have evidence of what that brewing process may have been. We can imagine. Were there filters? I guess some things about tea will always be left up to the imagination.

Once tea bags were created the brewing of tea by the sun was made easier. But it is still the idea that water was heated, tea added, and poured over ice. That is not sun tea. Where’s the sun?

Back in “the day” heating, a pot of hot water was not as simple or as easy as it is today. The conveniences we have now were not even close to being invented. So why not harness the power of the sun. The number of cups of sun tea I drank is countless. I wonder where the worry of sun tea bacteria came from. I don’t know anyone who got sick from sun tea. We will look at that a bit later in this article. 

The heat of the sun helps pull the tea from the tea bags. It’s a slower process than with heated water. Once the tea bags are removed, pour into a glass of ice and enjoy. It only takes a few hours to make sun tea. Of course, that depends on the strength of the sun and clouds on any given day.

On that good day, the heat of the sun pulls the tea flavor out of the tea bags in a few hours. The extraction is slower than a teapot of hot water and I will say the taste is different, it’s unique.

I can still see the glass jar adorned with yellow stripes and flowers. Sitting in the sun. It glistened and was beautiful. Once that tea was brewed the tea bags are removed. 

Some say sun tea is an alternative to Southern sweet tea. I’d have to agree. Once sugar is added to sun tea there is a likeness.

 

The sun tea jar

The first rule of sun tea: A glass Jar.

Plastic is a big no-no when heated. Plastic contains chemicals that are released when heated. Those chemicals can be released into the tea that is being brewed. No one wants to knowingly drink chemicals. So a glass jar it is.

My mother always made her tea in the same glass jar. It was glass, adorned in yellow, with a yellow plastic lid. Out from under the lid always hung several tea bag strings and tags. I knew when I saw that jar sitting outside I was in for some delightful tea.

The jar went into the fridge and was ready whenever we wanted a cup of cold tea. When empty, the jar was washed and ready for another sunny day.

Oh, that jar. That jar was a gallon jar. I am very sure a quart mason jar could be used as well. In my house, a gallon jar was welcomed and there was never any waste.

How do you make tea

Making a jar of sun tea is simple. But precautions are always taken. Make sure your jars and utensils are cleaned properly. I clean my one-gallon glass jar in the dishwasher prior to use.

Jar – Clear glass jars are used for sun tea. You don’t want to use anything that blocks the sun, so look for clear glass. These can be somewhat decorated but the majority of the jar needs to be clear.

Water – Purified or filtered water is another way to ensure a safer brew. Plus the taste of tea brewed in filtered water has a much cleaner taste.

Tea – A lot of tea bags are fanning or dust. I like to make my sun tea with a high quality of tea. Do not reuse these tea bags, they will be used only one time with the sun tea. Black tea is my favorite but you can also use herbs. I did try mint from my garden last year and it was a bit plain. I think it would need to be a blend of herbs to really taste incredible. Using a tea leaf infuser will help keep everything tidy.

Sun tea brewing in the sun. On days when the sun is bright and high in the sky. You don’t want your tea to brew any longer than a couple of hours.

• Fill your glass gallon container with filtered water.
• Add 6-8 tea bags (black preferred) or create your own herbal blend
• Place container out into the sun no longer than 4 hours
• Make sure the container stays in the sunlight (move if necessary) 
• Once brewed remove tea bags from the container
• Add Sweetener
• Place in the refrigerator

Today you don’t have to use bagged tea. Feel free to use a filter bag and fill it with your favorite tea, herbs or blend of your choice.

 

Sun tea benefits

The benefits of sun tea include the main reason you make it. It’s homemade and you can control what’s in your cup.

What benefits depend on the teas or herbs you choose to use.

We all know the major benefits of tea are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory. From there you can add herbs to only enhance the benefits in your cup.

So back to the reason why you want to brew sun tea. Because it’s homemade and you control what’s in your brew.

Sun tea dangers

I often think about things like toxins while I was growing up. Even allergies were not so common. Today we have so many allergies and toxins we need to worry about. Maybe it’s our ability to detect these things or maybe, just maybe our toxic world has caught up to us. Hence this section on Sun tea being bad for us. Because now 40 some years later, the CDC is telling us how dangerous sun tea can be. 

Making your own sun tea does need some consideration. 

Tea Bags – Don’t leave them in too long your tea at best could be bitter and at worst could develop some toxicity. Only steep one time.

Sun – make sure your tea stays in the sun. If your sun disappears so should your tea. You have to have the tea brewing for a period of time to do its thing.

Thick tea – Yes, toss this right out. Thick or slimy tea is a sign of bacteria. The bacteria are consistent with alcaligenes viscoelastic.

Sweetener – Sweetener your tea after it’s created.

The Caution of brewing sun tea

The CDC claims it’s a risky process to brew tea in the sun. Stating tea needs higher temperatures. The higher temperatures stop any bacteria from being created or multiplying.

Here’s the science behind the CDC found. No matter how hot the sun is it will only get the water in the sun tea container to no more than 130 degrees. Tea needs between 170-200 degrees Fahrenheit to steep correctly. That lower temperature is not hot enough to steep the teas and herbs fully. It’s also not high enough to stave off any bacteria that is found in the water used.

While bacteria seem to be the biggest concern. There are no reported cases of food poisoning from sun tea that we are aware of.

So, what if you desire to brew your own tea in water and a glass jar. Enter the cold brew method.

Since cold or iced tea makes up about 85% of the teas that are drunk in America there is another way.

Cold-brew

Cold-brew is the same process of sun tea minus the sun. You use your tea bags in a clear container (I prefer glass). Of course, use filtered water and place it into the refrigerator overnight. It’s actually a good way to brew tea.

There are several companies that sell pre-made cold brew tea packages. You can easily make your own or use their combinations. I’ll list a few below.

 

Conclusion 

I think reading the CDC report is an important part of your decision to brew sun tea. If you are cautious of sun tea you can always turn to cold brew. I love bringing the memory alive of my mother’s sun tea. Thoughtfully brewing a jar or two in the summer. If you can sit out and enjoy watching the heat of the sun extracting the flavors from your teas and herbs. It’s a magical journey as the sun dances with the brewing tea.

 Cold Brew Alternatives and TeaWare