Sun tea can harbor harmful bacteria, so it’s important to boil the water for 3-5 minutes before using. Herbs and seasonings should be washed thoroughly or boiled to avoid bacteria. Variations include herbal tea with citrus essences or mixed with fruit juice.
Sun tea describes a method of making tea, usually for iced tea, using exposure to the sun. The water is poured over tea bags, tea leaves, or occasionally just sprigs of mint and left to sit out in the sun. Many people like this method because it means not having to heat the house to boil water for a big batch of tea. Yet there are some concerns about this tea that need to be addressed.
Sun tea can harbor bacteria, especially alcaligenes viscolactis. When you let the water sit for several hours, this bacteria can grow, and the heat provided by the sun, which can bring the water to a temperature of 54.44°C, will not kill the bacteria. Caffeine can help keep bacteria at bay for a few hours at most. Decaffeinated herbal teas and herbs are actually great for the growth of bacteria, which can cause abdominal sickness and infections.
There are a few ways to make sun tea that won’t make you sick. The first is to boil the water needed for tea for at least 3-5 minutes. This will kill alcaligenes viscolactis. Some tea companies also do not have hot sun tea, which is not actually made in the sun, but is made in the refrigerator. Since the water never reaches room temperature, the bacterium doesn’t have a chance to grow.
The key is not to allow this tea to sit and come to room temperature, and if you use mint or other herbs, these should be washed thoroughly. In fact you may want to boil any herbs or seasonings for 3-5 minutes to avoid harmful bacteria. After brewing a safe tea, there are many ways to serve delicious variations.
Consider herbal tea with citrus essences and garnish with lemon wedges, or use a couple of different herbal blends for sun tea. Mix berry with citrus, orange with cinnamon, or any black tea with mint. Green tea has a very mild flavor, which will blend very well with other flavors. It’s also lower in caffeine and rich in antioxidants.
In the southern United States, many people mix fruit juice with sun tea or iced tea. Consider tea blended with citrus juices, pineapple juice, or berry juice. This can be very refreshing, while reducing the sugar in the juice and blending nicely with green tea flavors.
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