No energy is required for this slower, cooler brewing method that results in perfect iced tea.
Sun tea fits that description well. The idea is bafflingly simple. Fill a clean jar with water. Add tea leaves. Let sit on a sunny windowsill for several hours. Serve over ice. Voilà, sun tea!
Tea will infuse water with its flavor no matter the temperature. Tea-drinkers usually use boiling water because it extracts the flavor more quickly than cool water, but given time, water at a lower temperature can achieve the same results. (You can also do a cold brew in the fridge overnight.)
Tips for making sun tea:
Use 8 tea bags per gallon of water, or the equivalent in loose-leaf tea. Keep it in a strainer, or stir into the water and strain out when you drink the finished tea.
Let sit 2-3 hours, or until it reaches desired strength.
You can use any tea flavor:
Herbal teas such as mint, chamomile, hibiscus, lemon verbena (add fresh herbs, as well, for an extra jolt of flavor)
Caffeinated teas such as green, Earl Grey, or black (add a pinch of baking soda to neutralize the acidic taste that comes from steeping black tea for prolonged periods of time)
Fruity teas such as orange, lemon, berry, peach (consider adding a dash of cinnamon)
Add finishing touches: lemon slices after steeping and sweetener (sugar, honey, or agave). Serve on ice.
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*Note: Make sure your container is perfectly clean. There is some discussion about the potential dangers of bacterial growth in sun tea, as it sits in direct sunlight for several hours, and the CDC advises against it. However, if you take care to clean your container thoroughly and not leave it too long, it shouldn’t be a problem.