Sun Tea: Safe, Eco-friendly & Inexpensive Way To Make It

I love Sun Tea. I love the cool refreshing flavor it has on a summer day or with a tasty meal. My kids and I spend most of our summers drinking summer tea or some form of ice tea.

The great thing about making Sun Tea during the summer days is that it is a refreshing, great tasting summer drink. It's also easy and inexpensive to make. A pitcher, tea leaves, water and the sun is really all it takes to make it.

Did you know it is even eco-friendly to make? How? Well, there are no packaged tea bags to throw away in the end, to plastic juice containers and it takes the sun not electricity to make it.

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Unfortunately, there could be a problem with it. I discovered while researching Sun Tea recipes that making Sun Tea could be dangerous because harmful bacteria can grow in the tea. Have you heard of Alcaligenes Viscolactics?

One of the most noted bacterium to grow in Sun tea is Alcaligenes viscolactis. Water must be heated to 195 degrees Fahrenheit for at least three minutes to kill bacteria. Since Sun Tea in direct sunlight will only reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit it will not kill this bacteria. Alcaligenes viscolactis symptoms include stomach cramps, vomiting and/or diarrhea.

Ways To Minimize Your Risk

Use purified water

Only make enough tea for one day. Compost the tea after one day.

Clean your jar with hot soapy water and then and dry your jar well before using it again. Clean the spigot too. If you can clean the spigot well don't use the container. Clean it well.

Leave your tea in the sun for 2-3 hours; be sure to bring it in within 4 hours. The longer the tea stays in the sun the faster bacteria will grow.

If you are using fresh leaves clean them well.

Refrigerate the tea once it is the desired strength, which is based on the darkness of the tea.

Never keep brewed tea for more than eight hours at room temperature.

Opt for a safer tea making alternative: make a cold brew tea by placing the container in the refrigerator overnight instead of in the sun. Since the water never reaches room temperature, the bacterium doesn't have a chance to grow. Fridge tea will give you the same flavor as sun tea, but it will already be cold.

Boil your water for about 5 minutes before you use it to make sun tea. Be careful not to put boiling hot water in a glass container.

Store tea bags in a dark, cool place away from strong odors and moisture. Do not store them in the refrigerator.

If you find things in your tea floating in your tea with a rope-like appearance don't drink it. Throw it out. If the sun tea has a thick or syrupy appearance, it may have grown Alcaligenes viscolactis.

For The Sun, The Stove or the Fridge

What you will need:

Cold water

Glass Jar with Lid

Several Dried spearmint leaves loose or in tea bags. Loose will mean straining later.

Cinnamon stick

Lemon Slices

Pot (if going to boil the water)

Directions:

1. After cleaning the glass jar thoroughly with hot soapy water and then drying it well, fill the jar with filtered water to desired amount. Make sure to clean and dry the spout and the lid well too.

2. Add the mint leaves, lemon slices and the cinnamon stick.

3. Let the jar sit in direct sun for up to 2-3 hours. Then bring the tea in and serve over cold ice.

4. To sweeten add sugar, agave or honey after the tea has been made

Note: Spearmint is an herb. It is possible that making Sun Tea with herbs can also create bacteria in tea.