Sun tea

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Sunflower

Cook
Joined
Aug 3, 2005
Messages
54
Location
Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA
Hi,

I made some sun tea yesterday, but it didn't turn out as good. It's not at all strong even though I left it out in the sun the whole day! What did I do wrong? I put a couple cinnamon sticks and 6-7 apple-cinnamon flavored tea bags. It's 2-2 1/2 quart glass jar. Should I have put more tea bags? The tea bags were a little old too, could that be a problem?

Help!
 
Yep old tea bags could be a problem for sure. Try adding a few more and leave it out in the sun again. That should help.
 
I think sun tea is HIGHLY overrated plus it gets old quicker. Why not just put VERY hot water over your tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes.
 
That is the easzy was Gretchen, but there is something really fun about putting it out in the sun.
 
I wasn't trying to be easy. I am saying that sun tea just doesn't taste good to me--and doesn't last--it gets musty.
 
I am not sure why sun tea and reg iced tea would last any differently. I am not saying that isn't true, but it just doen't sound like it would make sense to me.
 
I agree with Gretchen. I gave up on Sun Tea long ago. I just steep tea in a pan of boiling water, let it cool and dump it in the fridge. You have more control when you do it in the kitchen and the product turns out better, in my experience.
 
I read last summer somwhere that Sun Tea is not good for you to make and drink. Something in the tea that if you don't use boiling water to it that the start bacteria can form. I can't remember all the details but it made me quit doing it at the time. I now boil water throw bags in the pot let it steep and when it cools -put it in a pitcher in the fridge. I don't like my tea real strong so I add cold water to the picher.
Maybe someone else read about it too and can offer more info on it
 
I make sun tea all the time. But I make it in small quantities so it gets used up faster. I use very hot water to make the tea and let it "brew" in the refrigerator overnight for use the next day. If I do brew it in the sun, it is just for an hour or so, just to get the brewing started and then into the refrigerator it goes. Here is some more information:


[FONT=arial, helvetica, sans serif]Colorado State University Cooperative Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network
[/FONT]


Is Sun Tea Safe?
Using the natural rays of the sun to make tea is fun and popular in the summer. However, using such a method to make tea is highly discouraged. Sun tea is the perfect medium for bacteria to grow. If the sun tea has a thick or syrupy appearance, it may be due to the presence of a ropy bacteria called Alcaligenes viscolactis. Ropy bacteria are commonly found in soil and water.
Several years ago in Ohio and Washington, several people became ill after drinking tainted ice tea. In Washington it was determined that the tea had been made with tap water only heated to 130 degrees Fahrenheit and left to sit at room temperature for more than 24 hours. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Tea Association recommend the following when making tea.
  • Brew tea bags at 195 degrees F for three to five minutes.
  • Brew only enough tea that can be consumed within a few hours.
  • Never maintain brewed tea for more than eight hours at room temperature. Discard any unused tea after eight hours.
  • Wash, rinse, and sanitize tea-making equipment regularly.
  • Instead of making "sun tea," brew tea overnight in the refrigerator as you would in the sun.
  • Store tea bags in a dark, cool, and dry place away from strong odors and moisture. Do not store in the refrigerator.
Adapted from "Bacteria-filled iced tea can cause illness," Fort Collins Coloradoan, June 12, 1996, Pat Kendall.
 
Uni of Calif. Riverside did a study on sun tea and advised against doing it because of the high bacteria count. Teas is not washed or cleaned in any way so who knows what might be on the leaves. UCR recommended using part boilng water for 5 min. then adding water and refrig. I realize I know no one that has gotten sick from sun tea but..... You could put the jar in the sun after using the boiling water and adding water so it is modified sun tea.
 
Wow! I am so glad I asked the question on sun tea! I had to throw the one that I made yesterday anyway, it didn't taste good because of the old tea bags. I am going to make a fresh batch by boiling tea bags. Thanks, guys!
 

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