If you live in hell, like I do, and your sun tea gets to about 140°, like mine does, it’s perfectly safe, especially if it’s chilled properly and you add lemon juice. Also, UV radiation helps to kill anything that tries to grow in the jar while it’s outside.
I’m not exactly a tea snob, but I have…opinions. I tend to put nothing in my tea, cold or hot (except lemonade, because sometimes you just need an Arnold Palmer, darn it). Mostly, I want to taste the tea.
Last summer I discovered cold brew tea and haven’t looked back. Pop some tea bags (or loose leaf if you’re feeling fancy) in some water and put it in the fridge before you go to bed, you get lovely iced tea in the morning with no tannin bitterness. If you leave the tea in for like 2 days, you start to get some tannins, but nothing major. The other advantage is a lower caffeine content.
Now, properly prepared hot tea does not have to be bitter, but you gotta time it just right. And then you still have to ice it if you want it cold.
Sun tea is really hard to control the brew time, because the water will get, if not hot, at least plenty warm and so the tannins start doing their thing and you get bitter tea. And then you still have to ice it. Why bother?
BTW, Tazo (you can find it at Target, and I’m sure plenty of other places) makes iced tea specific tea in ginormous bags that are good for a half gallon each. That’s what I’ve been using in my 1.5 gallon jug that I keep in the fridge. I usually go through that sucker in 3 or 4 days.
@moondrake I’ll check that out, even if I have to go someplace fancier than Target.
Personally, I’m a fan of Good Earth for chai. But now they’ve got like 3 different chais and I can’t remember which is my favorite (that is, the same recipe as what they just called “Chai” before). I think it’s Wild Chaild…
@DavidChurchRN Don’t you need a veranda to enjoy sipping tea? I don’t have a veranda and I doubt the HOA will allow me to build one. I have a shady porch though, is that OK?
I don’t like traditional cold tea. Occasionally I’d drink a can of Arizona raspberry tea or an Arnold Palmer… But that’s basically just sweet flavored water.
If I drink hot tea, it’s full of cream and sugar.
@meh1198 Is it really any good? I don’t think of Twinings as a premium tea company. .19 a bag isn’t bad. I pay about .42 a bag for Mighty Leaf green and white teas.
Ps wow, thanks, comparison pricing I just found bulk packs of ML green tea tropical for .19 a bag as an Amazon add on item and bought three. That’s less than half what I normally pay, and Winter is Coming.
I thought sun tea could give you cancer and superAIDS?
@DaveInSoCal No that’s IceT
@cranky1950 Lemonade! Read the sign!
If you live in hell, like I do, and your sun tea gets to about 140°, like mine does, it’s perfectly safe, especially if it’s chilled properly and you add lemon juice. Also, UV radiation helps to kill anything that tries to grow in the jar while it’s outside.
I’m not exactly a tea snob, but I have…opinions. I tend to put nothing in my tea, cold or hot (except lemonade, because sometimes you just need an Arnold Palmer, darn it). Mostly, I want to taste the tea.
Last summer I discovered cold brew tea and haven’t looked back. Pop some tea bags (or loose leaf if you’re feeling fancy) in some water and put it in the fridge before you go to bed, you get lovely iced tea in the morning with no tannin bitterness. If you leave the tea in for like 2 days, you start to get some tannins, but nothing major. The other advantage is a lower caffeine content.
Now, properly prepared hot tea does not have to be bitter, but you gotta time it just right. And then you still have to ice it if you want it cold.
Sun tea is really hard to control the brew time, because the water will get, if not hot, at least plenty warm and so the tannins start doing their thing and you get bitter tea. And then you still have to ice it. Why bother?
BTW, Tazo (you can find it at Target, and I’m sure plenty of other places) makes iced tea specific tea in ginormous bags that are good for a half gallon each. That’s what I’ve been using in my 1.5 gallon jug that I keep in the fridge. I usually go through that sucker in 3 or 4 days.
@plc 3 or 4 days, I’m happy if mine lasts a day and a half! Its regular ole brewed tea though, except I use caffeine free tea and stevia.
@plc
If you grow herbs try putting mint in it sometimes.
I’m with you tho. Good iced tea does not need sweetening.
@plc Try Mighty Leaf’s iced tea. ML is by far my favorite tea brand, although nobody makes chai spice better then Tazo.
@f00l Great idea! I’ll have to ask my wife what’s growing in the garden. I know there’s basil, but that might be weird…
@moondrake I’ll check that out, even if I have to go someplace fancier than Target.
Personally, I’m a fan of Good Earth for chai. But now they’ve got like 3 different chais and I can’t remember which is my favorite (that is, the same recipe as what they just called “Chai” before). I think it’s Wild Chaild…
My only opinion on any tea is that it belongs in a large body of water. Preferably a harbor, but I’m not picky.
@simplersimon Now THAT’s what I call a party!
Tea is gross. Seriously gross. Doesn’t matter what kind or “flavor” of tea, it’s all liquid nasty.
@lordbowen then you haven’t had good tea. That crap Lipton sales is basically dust.
Try Teavana
@DavidChurchRN Don’t you need a veranda to enjoy sipping tea? I don’t have a veranda and I doubt the HOA will allow me to build one. I have a shady porch though, is that OK?
@therealjrn
Actually the kitchen is a great place to drink iced tea.
There are a lot of great places.
A hot day helps the loveliness of it.
“Sweet tea”.
: p
No please.
Mom grew mint in the backward. When there was company she would cut some and crush it, for the guests who wanted it in their tea.
@f00l My Dad planted mint one year. 40 years later, we still have WAY too much mint. You want some mint? lol That stuff is hardy.
Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.
I don’t like traditional cold tea. Occasionally I’d drink a can of Arizona raspberry tea or an Arnold Palmer… But that’s basically just sweet flavored water.
If I drink hot tea, it’s full of cream and sugar.
Are you sure that “sun” tea is not just an invented name given to a power outage?
@InnocuousFarmer I ordered a “Solar Clothes Dryer”
They sent me a rope.
I must be the only guy in the world that drinks Prince of Wales. Now THAT is an expensive tea :p
@meh1198 Is it really any good? I don’t think of Twinings as a premium tea company. .19 a bag isn’t bad. I pay about .42 a bag for Mighty Leaf green and white teas.
Ps wow, thanks, comparison pricing I just found bulk packs of ML green tea tropical for .19 a bag as an Amazon add on item and bought three. That’s less than half what I normally pay, and Winter is Coming.
mosquito breeding vats
I don’t really like tea in general soooo
I heard people pee in those containers when left outside. Get one with a locking mechanism!
@medz cool should taste like Arnold Palmer’s
I read his book of the 7 rings and found it thought provoking.
I love tea, with lemon, without lemon, Arnold Palmers.
No flavored, that’s not tea.
I made sun tea, one time, it was nasty.