Iced Sun Tea Food

ICED SUN TEA

Steps:

• Remove any tags from the tea bags (prevents dye from leeching into the tea) and place them in the bottom of a clear, glass, 1/2 gallon pitcher.
• Fill with cold water , add lemon and lime and cover with plastic wrap or lid (keeps gnats and other creepies out).
• Place outdoors in the sun (can do out of the sun as well, but takes just a bit longer).
• Allow to brew for 5-6 hours or until it is as dark as you like (warmer weather brews it faster).
• Remove tea bags and fruit and serve tea over ice, sweetened with honey if desired (mix it in while tea is warm).
• Tea will keep about 6 hours, after which the quality decreases rapidly.

SUNSATIONAL SUN-BREWED ICED TEA

Steps:

• Place 2 quarts water in a large clear pitcher.
• Add 6 large mint sprigs, crushed.
• Add 1/4 cup sugar.
• Add 6-7 tea bags.
• Cover pitcher and let stand in sun 2 to 4 hours.
• Remove tea bags.
• Serve over ice, garnished with additional mint sprigs, if desired.
• Refrigerate tea up to 3 days, if it lasts that long.

ICED CITRUS SUN TEA

Steps:

• To make the tea:
• Fill an ice-cube tray with orange juice and freeze, uncovered, until solid, about 4 hours. Orange ice cubes may be made 1 week ahead and kept frozen in a plastic bag.
• In a pitcher combine tea bags and water and let tea stand at room temperature 4 hours.
• Remove tea bags and chill tea, covered, until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Cut half of lemon and lime into slices and squeeze remaining halves into tea. Stir syrup and all fruit slices into tea. Serve tea over orange juice ice cubes in tall glasses.
• To make the simple syrup:
• In a saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring, and boil until sugar is completely dissolved. Let syrup cool and chill, covered. Syrup may be made 2 weeks ahead and chilled, covered. Makes about 2 cups.

SOLAR-POWERED, SUN-BREWED ICED TEA

Steps:

• *Early in the day*: fill a gallon jar with water, tea bags and honey; cover and place jar out in a sunny spot.
• Remove from outdoors, shake jug to be sure the honey is well-mixed; remove tea-bags (these can go in the compost).
• Place jar in fridge to chill (well, duh!).
• Serve over ice cubes or just chilled.
• VARIATIONS: If you're using unflavored tea bags, you can add a flavor by adding several (or fewer) drops of your favorite flavoring extracts to the finished tea: raspberry, orange, blackberry or a combination.
• MONEY-SAVING HINT: Leave the honey out and let everyone add their own sugar when they're served.

CLASSIC ICED SUN TEA

Steps:

• Pour water over tea, and steep in bright sunlight until rich brown and translucent but not cloudy, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Strain. Serve over ice with garnish.