Sun Tea and Summertime

There is absolutely nothing like a glass of strong brewed iced tea in the summertime. Preferably sipped out of mason jars and enjoyed after an evening of chasing lightening bugs barefoot in the grass, collapsed exhausted on the front stoop, sweat running off the jar and down your arm and cicadas humming in the background so loud it almost lulls you to sleep. Yep. I think I nominate iced tea to be the unofficial "taste" of summer, if one had to describe summer only as a taste. Some of you might argue lemonade, and you're close, but, naw, it's iced tea.
My favorite way to brew tea is the sun tea method. Call me overly sentimental (um...see above paragraph), but I think tea that has soaked up the sun's rays just tastes better. Check out my super simple recipe below...

You need //A large mason jar with lidTea of your choice (loose or bagged)WaterTo make sun tea //Sterilize your jar and lid by running them through the dishwater or washing thoroughly with hot water and soap. (This step is important as tea sitting in water in the sun for hours is the ideal situation for bacteria growth!)Add one cup of distilled water for every tea bag (or every 2.5 grams of tea).Seal the jar and place in the sunshine for two or three hours.Pour over ice and serve.*My Southern heritage gives me a predisposition to sweet sweet sweet tea so I drizzle in a generous amount of honey before I set the jar out to steep. Try adding lemon, mint, or berries to infuse your tea and give it a twist!
{Lauren}