Sun Tea with Herbs
Sun tea is very easy to make and is a nice thing to do on a sunny day. It also tastes great and sipping it at the end of a hard day is a great way to relax. If you're having company over, it's the perfect summer beverage to serve. When you flavor sun tea with herbs, you really have something special.
To make herb flavored sun tea, you'll need a covered glass beverage container, water, six or seven teabags, and 3 or 4 washed, fresh herb sprigs. My suggestions: mint, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena, cinnamon basil, lemon basil or sage. Fill the container with cold tap water and add the tea bags and herb sprigs. Put the lid on and set in a sunny, protected area. I put mine on a fence post.
The warmth of the sun will gradually heat the water and the tea will begin brewing. Now all you have to do is wait until the tea gets as strong as you like. I usually let mine sit out in the sun almost all day. When your tea is as strong as you like, bring it inside and take the teabags and herbs out, squeezing them to release any flavors back into the tea.
Sweeten with honey or sugar and add a bit of lemon juice or a few lemon slices if you wish. Set the container of tea in the refrigerator and chill until very cold. Serve over ice and enjoy!
For a different twist, make ice cubes ahead of time with lemonade, add a lavender flower, or lemon balm leaf, or mint leaf to the cube before freezing. Makes a wonderful addition to your herb tea.
You can also use with lemonade or add sparkle to mineral water or a wine cooler.
(Recipes and Serving Suggestions Provided by Central Coast Ag Network Members in Action)