Shortcut Sun Tea

I’m sharing this recipe today over at Inspiration Café for their Bloomin’ Marvelous Link Party where the girls from the café are hosting a party full of garden inspired projects and recipes from around the world.

I haven’t been able to do very much gardening this summer, but one of my favorite summer beverages is sun tea. I like to make it as often as I can, but to be honest I’ve never been patient enough to wait it out the 2-4 hours that it takes to let the sun do the work. Sure it’s poor planning on my part, but what it comes down to is that I’m thirsty. Hence, I usually make a short cut version. It’s very easy, very similar, and tastes just like good old fashioned sun tea, but perhaps without the vitamins they speak of. Here is how to make it:

Shortcut Sun Tea

5 teabags

4 cups water

Glass container with lid

• Depending on your water source, you can either: Use hot water right from your faucet – OR-  Boil the water and then turn off kettle and let water cool down for 30-60 minutes allowing the steam to escape through the kettle spout. Prop open the spout if you can. The idea is to bring your water to a temperature that is no hotter than what you would put your hands in to do the dishes.
• Put the teabags into your glass container and then pour the “hot” water into the glass container with the teabags.
• Cover with lid and then place the container in a sunny spot for 20 minutes or more.
• Pour tea into iced filled glasses
• Consider adding a lime or lemon wedge; sugar, Agave nectar, or Stevia to sweeten; and fresh herbs like mint, rosemary or basil
• Remove tea bags after 2 hours and chill

On a hot summer day, iced tea is one of the only beverages that will quench my thirst. I could just make plain old iced tea brewed in a tea pot, but what’s the fun in that? And why waist the rays? Shortcut sun tea with a touch of Agave, a twist of lime and a sprig of mint is about the closet I’m getting this summer to reaping the spoils of my garden!

How do you like to fix up your ice tea in the summer?

Click the button to stop over and check out Bloomin Marvelous at  Inspiration Café: