The sweet taste of summer...

Yes, I know that it's not summer yet, but it will be soon and I say bring it on!  ....I wonder if I'll still be saying that when the kids are out of school in a few weeks?  Hmm, anyway...

When I think about summer, one thing that comes to mind is bare feet.  Then I think about how nice the sun will feel.  Then I think about cookouts.....  oooh, summertime food!  Mom's potato salad, Martha Stewart's 1-2-3-4 lemon cake, homemade marshmallows, fresh pickin's from the garden...  I can't wait!

Yesterday's sunshine inspired me to bring out my sun tea jar, which I discovered leaks like crazy when I opened the fridge this morning and found a giant puddle of tea.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  It *is* older than me -it was a hand-me-down from my Gramma.  I was planning on doing a post about sweet sun tea the old-fashioned way, but it looks like I'll be showing you "single"-servings instead...  which might be for the better since not everyone has a sun tea jar, but most people have a few empty [mason] jars laying around...

Rye looking sweet holding the kids' sun tea.

Raspberry hibiscus sweet tea tastes like kool-aid!

Win.

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Sweet Sun Tea
printable version of this recipe (with images)
printable version of this recipe (without images)

Here's what you'll need:

• one quart [mason] jar, with a lid
• filtered water
• 3-4 tea bags (I like Tetley black tea, my kids like Lipton Raspberry Zinger, but you can use whatever you like )
• 2-3 Tbsp. sugar or agave nectar, to taste (I like to use half and half...  sugar for the steeping, then agave for extra sweetness afterward)  - you could also use honey, of course
• a few hours

Put the teabags and about half of the sweetener in the jar.  

Fill it up with water, screw the cap on...

You can already see the kids' raspberry hibiscus tea doing it's thang.

So pretty.

Give it a shake to get things going.

...and let it steep in the sunlight for a few hours...

how long depends on how hot and sunny it is,

you should be able to tell when it's done based on the color.  

Give it a taste.  If it's not strong enough, let it sit a bit longer.  If it's too strong, add a bit of water to dilute it.

Scoop out the tea bags and toss 'em in your compost.  If needed, add more of the sweetener of your choice to taste.

Serve over ice, with a lemon or lime wedge if you like.

...I didn't have a lemon or a lime...

This made me sad until I tasted the tea and it's awesomeness.

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...and while I had her outside, Rye got to help a little with the garden!

She's so strong!

Watering the potatoes.

Thanks for the help, little lady!