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The summer can become unbearable for tea drinkers.  The hot heat makes it difficult to sip on a cuppa hot tea for some people.  Many resort to iced tea.  I have seen many iced tea recipes in the past, and have been an advocate of steeping hot and pouring over ice, until I found this recipe from a twitter friend!  Cold brewing tea in a refridgerator is what they suggested. At first, I was unsure if it would even work, worrying over whether the tea would steep a bitter cuppa. Here is the recipe if you are interested!

How to cold brew tea:

#1) get a very large pitcher, that is either a gallon or half gallon.

#2) add about 1/4 cup of tea to half gallon or 1/2 cup of tea to gallon pitcher.

#3) fill with cold water

#4) Put in refrigerator,covered for 6-8 hours for first steep, and 12-15 hours for second steep.

#5) Pour a cup and enjoy!

The cold cuppa that I drank after 8 hours was delicious!  The tea was not over or under steeped, like some other iced teas, and it still held up the flavor profile of the tea very well!  For curiosity sake, I steeped the tea once,even though Chris & Amy didn’t say anything about that.  It tastes just as good at the first steep!  So after you are done with your first steep, add more cold water, stick in the fridge for another 12 hours and enjoy a second time the next day!  If you try this, do share with us here at California Tea House!  I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences on cold brewing tea!

Sun Brewed or Sun kissed tea's magic is that it allows room for creativity. With honey rather than sugar in mind, this recipe is tailored for a busy bee's palate. Be sure to keep the garden bees away while it steeps! 

Ingredients:

5 heaping tablespoons of loose leaf Rooibos tisane (Gingerbread Chai)

Juice of one lemon Lemon slices (save a few for garnish)

1/4 cup of honey, diluted with an equal part of hot water

1 gallon filtered water

Large glass pitcher 

Directions:

Pour all the ingredients in the glass pitcher and stir continuously. Place lid on top and position pitcher directly in hot sunlight for 8 hours or so. Pour into glasses containing ice. Add a lemon wedge on top and enjoy!

Mint is a refreshing ingredient to any drink on a melting hot day.  In the category of superfoods, mint is a superstar. For centuries now, mint is known for multiple ailments: nausea, headache, acne, digestion, skincare, asthma, fresh breath and so on.  It also grows bountifully in a garden patch all year long.  Combine this verdant herb with black tea and you have yourself a summer power drink. 

Here's a mint infused sun tea recipe that will keep you cool as a cucumber all summer long! 

Garden Mint Sun Tea.

Ingredients:

5 heaping tablespoons of loose leaf black tea (Organic Darjeeling)

8 cups of filtered water

Large glass pitcher with lid

1 cup of fresh garden mint, crushed and thoroughly washed

Lemon rinds

A hot and bright sunny, summer day

Directions:

Combin all ingredients in a glass pitcher and cover with the lid.  Set in sun for 6 to 8 hours. Add desired sweetener if necessary.

I have a confession to make. Prior to meeting my southern husband, I have never heard of Sun Tea before. When he found this out, he had the most quizzical expression on his face as if he saw something in my teeth and couldn't decide whether to laugh or cringe.

And so I got the lecture.  "Sun Tea", he proclaimed, "is part of what bonds children with their mothers, is what makes childhood memories everlasting, it's what no child should ever be deprived of, otherwise its a childhood not worth having..."  OK, maybe I am exaggerating the lecture a little bit. 

So in order to save my marriage, I embarked on a Sun Tea journey to discover everything I can about this mysteriously fascinating summer liquid. I phoned the in-laws of the south for ole' fashioned recipes,  I scoured the Internet for variety of recipes, I researched recent safety concerns in the making of Sun Tea and experimented in my own backyard to bring you this very thesis on Sun Tea.

To begin, here are some basic ground rules in preparing to make Sun Tea:

1. Watch Out for Bacteria.  If you ask the new-timers, the process of making Sun Tea can form a bacteria that can be harmful to your health. If you ask the ole-timers, a lil' bit of bacteria ain't hurt no body! The issue is that using the sun's rays to make tea can facillitate bacteria called alcaligenes viscolactis, according to the Center of Disease Control. Tea steeped in a jar on your porch won't get any hotter than 130 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to truly kill germs, water needs to be heated at 195 degrees F for 3-5 minutes.

To appease both the old school and the new school of thought, it's best to avoid risk yet without stripping yourselves from fond childhood memories by doing the following:

a) Use a sterilized glass container (more about glass below)

b)  Use a strainer after steeping Sun Tea to rid of any aliens in it.

c) Simply toss the tea away if you see foamy, syrupy substances or any weird-looking strands.

2. Use a Glass Pot. According to recent studies, plastic containers may be adding harmful chemicals to the liquids they contain. The procedure speeds up if the liquid bottle in plastic is left in the sun for a long time. Bottles exposed to the sun in the research showed traces of carcinogenic and neurotoxic substances.

3. Use Filtered Water.  Tap water typically contains unknown substances that without a full boil may be harmful to your health. Another cleaner and safer method to make Sun Tea is to use filtered water instead. This will also enhance the flavor of the tea itself.

4. Use Loose Leaf Tea.  Even though most of the traditional recipes utilize tea bags, I prefer to use fresh ingredients wherever I can. Tea bags to me are akin to buying pre-ground coffee in a can where the freshness is compromised. 

5. Be Creative.  Add your favorite citrus rinds and/or garden herbs to your own batch of Sun Tea.   

5. Refrigerate immediately after use.  Throw out any leftover tea after 3 days.

These days, non-tea-drinkers categorize our fun loving group into two stereotypes: the zen and serene / the pretentious (and possibly British).  I'm sure the health-conscious are thrown somewhere into the mix.  This weekend, I vow to throw those preconceived notions to the wind and let lose with a high in tea, low in calorie, summer cocktail.  The days are warm and the nights are long, what better time than now?  Move over Long Island Ice Tea, there's an electrifying new antioxidant-rich drink on the block.  Enjoy...

 ELECTRIC HONEYDEW

1 Tbsp green tea leaves (White Monkey Paw green tea works great)

1 Tbsp dried chamomile leaves

2 oz gin

3 leaves anise-hyssop

2 oz pureed honeydew (puree in blender)

3/4 oz lemon juice

1/4 oz agave syrup

1 fennel frond, for garnish

In a jar or glass, mix green tea and chamomile leaves with gin and let sit for 3 hours at room temperature.  Muddle anise-hyssop leaves, then combine with tea-infused gin, honeydew puree, lemon juice, and agave in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into a martini glass and garnish with a fennel frond.

MAKES 1 SERVING

Calories: 178

Recipe courtesy of Women's Health Magazine