How to Make Sun Tea

Making your own ice tea at home can be cost effective, and also healthier then purchasing at a store. So many store bought teas have artificial sugars and preservatives. But making it yourself allows you to control sugar, caffeine, flavor and yields no preservatives.

Sun tea is a process that was created to produce an ice tea that is smoother and less bitter to the palate. As long as I can remember my grandmother, aunt and mother made tea in this style. Brewing teas and herbs in this manner allows the product to steep slower using the power of the sunshine’s heat to brew a perfect tea.

The Process

Sun Tea has a basic process that we listed below. Remember, sun tea is all dependent on the intensity of the sun and also how warm the air temperature is . Use general rule of thumb when trying out different ingredient combinations.

Wash all of your fresh ingredients really well & put into a glass container along with your tea bags if you choose to use them.
Pour over cold filtered water, and put a lid on. Sit in direct sun for 4-6 hours, or until desired strength occurs. (Tea will take on a darker color as it gets stronger.)
Once brewed, strain the tea into an airtight bottle & discard the ingredients.

Lemon-Basil and Chamomile

As our Bodies age, we begin to feel aches & pains that can be caused by Inflammation. Basil is not only a powerful anti-inflammatory herb, it also speeds up the body’s cell healing process.

We used a Lemon-Basil breed from the garden, but you are welcome to experiment with any type of Basil.

I recommend starting with 2 or 3 stems with leaves still on. Fresh herbs can be very strong, and everyone will tend to have a different pallet.

Rinse your herbs well and roll in a towel to release the oils before putting in your jar. You can use loose tea or tea bags, again start with 4-5 tea bags or 4-5 tbsp. of loose tea.

Mint Green Tea

This mix is light and refreshing, and is the perfect detox combination for the morning. Green tea has a small amount of naturally occurring caffeine and is known for its antioxidant properties. Mint and lemon will give your immune system a boost, and can help to defend bacteria in the body.