How to make sun tea.

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Growing up, I remember my mom making pitchers of sun tea on the patio. When I moved to Austin, I was on a very tight budget and needed small joys.

Well, I turned to sun tea! It’s a way to use any type of tea and infuse water without turning on the stove—if you’ve lived in the South, not having to turn on the stove when it’s 100+ degrees outside is a blessing.

I don’t know anyone who makes sun tea, and I’m beginning to think it’s a bit of a lost art. I figured I’d share how I make it, in case you’d like to whip up a pitcher this summer.

Pitchers to use for sun tea

In addition to tea, you need a pitcher that you can put outside for at least 2-3 hours. I prefer a clear glass pitcher with a secure lid (no bugs allowed). Here are some options I found.

Being able to see the tea change color is helpful because once it reaches the color you like, you can bring the pitcher inside. You can still make sun tea if you don’t have a clear pitcher!

I just wouldn’t recommend a plastic pitcher or anything that may be damaged in sunlight.

The size of the pitcher is up to you — how much tea do you want to make?

Types of tea for sun tea

The best part about sun tea is that you can use whatever you like to make it!

My favorite types of tea to use are watermelon mint tea or any type of citrus- or fruit-based tea.

Traditional iced tea is made using black tea. You could also do a mix of tea bags to create your own flavor.

You can also add citrus slices to your pitcher for an extra layer of flavor!

How to make sun tea

So, how do you make sun tea?

Simply fill your pitcher with water and add one tea bag per 8 ounces of water to the pitcher.

Secure the lid and place the pitcher outside. If you’ve got a sunny spot, great, but as long as it’s hot outside, the tea will infuse the water.

Next, be patient! There’s no rule for the length of time to leave tea out — typically, 1-3 hours is long enough, but it depends on the temperature and how flavorful you like your tea.

I’ve left mine out overnight before, not on purpose, but it happens 🙂

Once the tea is the color and flavor you would like it, bring the pitcher inside. You can sweeten it with agave nectar or honey if you’d like.

Then, you can put the pitcher in your fridge or pour the tea over ice in a glass.

Cheers!

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