Sun tea is the perfect drink to stay refreshed all summer long!
The recipe for sun tea is also one of the easiest ways to make iced tea, just set your tea out in the sun for the day!
Plus, sun tea gives you some extra flavour profiles you may not have noticed with other iced tea recipes.
I’ll go over everything you need to know about how to make sun tea at home. From what you’ll need, any potential dangers (and how to avoid them!), and how long you can store it in your fridge.
Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!
What Is Sun Tea?
Sun tea is when you steep tea using only the heat from the sun.
You add the tea leaves to cold water and let it sit out, warming up in the sun for a few hours.
Sun tea uses room temperature water to steep tea leaves instead of cold or very hot water.
Because of this, there are some risks in making sun tea, but you can avoid them if you make it properly. So continue reading to see how below…
Tea Tasting Notes & Guide
You might be interested in my digital and printable tea tasting notes & guide to take your tea tasting to the next level. See it on Etsy.
Why Make Sun Tea?
Sun tea is unlike any other tea steeping method. It works best when you’re making iced tea in the summer.
The sun won’t be able to heat your tea up enough to enjoy hot tea. Plus, who wants hot tea in the summer anyway!?
The benefit of sun tea over a traditional steeping method is that it keeps your water at room temperature.
This way, you don’t risk burning the leaves. The sun heats up the water gradually, and it will never reach boiling temperatures. The result is smoother tasting iced tea!
You might even notice some different flavours in your tea that you hadn’t noticed before when steeping with either hot or cold water.
Plus, it’s also a lot quicker than cold brew iced tea, which can take up to 10 hours in the fridge!
What You’ll Need To Make Sun Tea
You don’t need much to make sun tea, but having a few essential items might make it a bit easier…
The main problem with sun tea is that even if you have everything, it’s still very much weather dependant. You not only need a warm day, but also a clear day where the sun is shining. And unfortunately, you can’t really control the weather…
So if there’s no sun, there’s no tea!
My Sun Tea Recipe Amazon Must Haves
Recommend Having A Large Sun Tea Glass Jar
You need a large jar to make your sun tea, and preferably one that is glass.
Glass is a better conductor of heat and safer than plastic containers. You can still use plastic containers for a sun tea recipe, just make sure they’re BPA free.
I always like making a lot of tea at once because it takes a few hours, so I tend to use large glass jars, like these on Amazon. They come in different sizes depending on how much you want to make. This way, I’ll make it in the morning and I can enjoy it all afternoon long!
If you want a jar that can easily dispense your iced tea (which is perfect for parties) check out this gallon glass dispenser from Amazon.
It holds a gallon of tea, fits perfectly in my fridge, and has a separate ice container. This makes it really easy to get in my iced tea fix! But this also makes a great accessory to any summer party!
Large Sun Tea Glass Jar Dispenser Perfect For Serving Iced Tea
- PREMIUM GLASS – Constructed of premium-grade glass, the beverage serveware will be secure and balanced for indoor and outdoor use. The crystal-clear sides allow you to see colorful contents; the wide-mouth authentic mason jar design adds a majestic touch of decor.
- STAINLESS STEEL MESS-FREE SPIGOT – An 18/8-stainless spigot is affixed to these drink dispensers for parties. The spout is 100% leak-proof and drip-free while allowing for strong steady flow.
- STAINLESS STEEL LID – The glass water dispenser has a tin lid that keeps bugs or debris out of your beverages. For fresh lemonade, iced tea, infused water, punch, juices, and sangria.
- WIDE MOUTH – A specially designed wide mouth allows you to effortlessly infuse drinks with fruits or berries and makes it easy to hand-wash the punch dispenser for parties. Not dishwasher safe.
What Tea To Use For Sun Tea?
Quality tea is always a must no matter your steeping method. If you want good tasting iced tea, it always starts with good quality tea.
But I actually recommend using tea bags for sun tea though, it will make your life a bit easier.
In fact, for a really easy sun tea recipe for classic iced tea, use Gallon size Lipton tea bags, get them on Amazon. You can’t find tea bags this large anywhere else! It makes it a no brainer to remove once the tea is steeped.
If you like using loose leaf tea, my favourite tea for iced tea is Black Beauty #8 from Tealyra. Of course, if using loose tea, you’ll also need a strainer.
Related
Lipton Tea Bag Size Comparison
If you have a different size Lipton iced tea bag, see the table for how many tea bags to use based on the size you have.
Lipton Tea Bag Size Comparison
| Grams / Bag | Caffeine / Cup | Cups Of Tea | Cost / Bag | Shop | |
| Lipton Black Tea | 2.5 grams | 50 mg | 4 Cups | ~.04¢ (use 2 = .08¢) | Walmart.com |
| Lipton Family Size | 7.2 grams | 42 mg | 4 Cups | ~.11¢ | Walmart.com |
| Lipton Gallon Size | 28.8 grams | 42 mg | 1 Gallon (16 cups) | ~.32¢ | Walmart.com |
Be Prepared With A Lot Of Ice: Sun Tea Recipe…
If it’s one thing iced tea needs, it’s a lot of ice – and a recipe for sun tea is no exception.
I keep my freezer stacked with ice cube trays upon ice cube trays in the summer. Yet, I’m always out…
So for those days when I’m out of ice, I keep reusable ice cubes in the freezer as well. Make sure to get ones that are filled with water, I have these from Amazon. This way, it also doesn’t dilute my iced tea when they melt.
P.S. You can also make yourself some iced tea cubes to avoid diluting your iced tea. Simply make tea as you normally would, then add it to ice cube trays and freeze.
Related
How To Make Sun Tea
Sun tea could not be easier to make.
In your glass jar, add tea, water, let it sit, then move it to the fridge to let it cool down. If you’re impatient you can always just add more ice and enjoy your sun tea right away!
It’s as simple as that!
Recipe For Sun Tea
Makes 1 gallon (16 cups)
Ingredients
- 1 Lipton gallon size tea bag (or 8 regular bags)
- 1 gallon room temperature water (16 cups)
- Ice
- Optional: sweetener of choice
Directions
- Add tea bag(s) to glass jar
- Fill jar with 1 gallon of water (16 cups)
- Set jar in sunny location (inside or outside) for a maximum of 2 hours
- After 2 hours, move jar to fridge to cool or serve it over ice right away
- If you want stronger tea you can leave the tea in for another hour or two.
- Optional: add honey or simple syrup to sweeten
How To Sweeten Your Sun Tea Recipe
Sweetening sun tea is a bit more complicated than regular iced tea because you’re never using boiling water. This means that when adding regular sugar, it won’t have the chance to dissolve properly.
You also want to avoid adding it during the steeping process. Let your tea steep in the sun first, and then add any sweetener you want.
To properly sweeten sun tea, you’ll want to use a liquid sweetener. This can be honey, agave syrup, or even a simple syrup (make your own at home).
Add in your sweetener when you’re ready to drink your tea and it will mix right in!
Sun Tea Dangers: Is Sun Tea Safe To Drink?
Sun tea does not use boiling water to steep tea, so there is a risk for bacteria growth.
You’re using room temperature water to brew your tea, which is around 20–22 °C (68–72 °F), which is in the danger zone of food temperatures.
This means that the water never gets hot enough to kill any potential bacteria that may grow. In fact, it’s actually the perfect temperature to encourage growth…
That is why my sun tea recipe only sits in the sun for a maximum of 2 hours. It’s to avoid this bacteria growth. If you let your tea sit in the sun for too long, that’s when the risk arises.
If you do notice that your sun tea is thick and syrupy, then it might be the bacteria Alcaligenes viscolactis. Even boiled tea will last at room temperature for only 8 hours because of this.
If you want to be as safe as possible, you can use one of these 4 other methods for making iced tea that will be safer. But, if you can’t forget about that smooth sun tea taste, then make sure you follow a few steps for safety…
Related
How To Make Sun Tea So That It’s Safe(r) To Drink
First, before even starting to make your sun tea, make sure you’re dealing with a clean container! You don’t want anything to already to be growing in there from last time you used it!
Once you can ensure a clean, disinfected container, make sure not to leave your tea out for too long.
This is why my sun tea recipe is only for 2 hours in the sun. This is considered below the safe amount of time to sit out in the sun before risking any growth.
Then, immediately transfer your sun tea to the fridge. If you want stronger tea, feel free to leave your tea bag to steep for longer in the fridge.
For a full explanation about safely drinking sun tea, Donald Schaffner, Ph.D., a professor of food microbiology at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, discusses it in more detail in this article.
How Long Can You Store Sun Tea
As I mentioned, if you aren’t going to consume your sun tea right away, then you have to put it in the fridge after 2 hours of sitting in the sun.
Once the sun tea is in the fridge it should be consumed within three days maximum!
It will taste the best if consumed within the first day, I find the flavours just go straight downhill after that.
My Sun Tea Recipe Amazon Must Haves
Read More Related Posts
- How To Make Iced Tea At Home: 5 Easy Ways
- 5 Ways To Iced Matcha To Enjoy All Summer Long
- 3 Instant At Home Iced Coffee Recipes You Need To Try!
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Last update on 2024-05-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API