I blame Ellie for this.
I saw a picture of sweet tea on her blog and oh my heavens… I don’t usually make sweet tea in the winter, so that picture was a clear sign to me that summer is here, and with it my favorite drink!
I’m the only sweet tea drinker in the house, so I make it in smaller portions. In a quart size Mason jar I put 1/2 cup sugar and one pitcher size tea bag, and fill it with cold water. Then the magic: set it in the sunshine!
I let it sit out there all day till the sugar is dissolved and the tea is nice and dark. I like it strong! Once the sun is down and it’s done, put it in the fridge to chill.
A word of caution: sun tea, I am told, can be a veritable welcome wagon to bacteria. As with everything, drink at your own risk. 
If you’re in more of a hurry or are at all concerned about bacteria, just add boiling water to the mix and let the tea steep for 15 minutes.
For something a little different steep with a tea bag and a cinnamon stick.
Serve over lots of ice and add a slice of lemon if you like. Or lime! Or orange (great tip, Jerri — I forgot that one!). Nothing beats this on a hot summer day!
Haha, I take full responsibility/blame for this one. And can I tell you how much I LOVE that you put it in a mason jar???
i love sweet tea. and i like orange slices in mine.
Ellie, I couldn’t decide if it should be “blame” or “thank.” Ha! And of COURSE a Mason jar!
Jerri I can’t believe I forgot that! Added it in. Thanks!
Now this is a tea that I can enjoy in the summer months – thank you for sharing!
This takes me right back to summer when I was a kid. My mom used to make her tea in a big glass pitcher left on the patio next to the pool all afternoon. YUM!
I loved your tastspotting.com blurb, “More refreshing than the sprinkler.” I love that! It’s true! Sweet Sun Tea is a favorite of mine, and howcome tea always tastes better coming from a mason jar?
Thanks, Johanna! And it DOES taste better out of a mason jar, doesn’t it? It’s just magic.
I love sun tea. I think I will make a pitcher first thing….tomorrow. Yours looks so refreshing.
This post reminded me how much I love sun tea! I’ve been making it every day for a week now.
allison
I’m sending a CARE package to a sweet Southern boy stationed in Afghanistan and he LOVES his sweet tea. I wanted a cute way to send it to him, and this is perfect. Thanks for posting!!
Oh my goodness! What a wonderful idea. And please tell him THANK YOU for his service from me.
[...] June 3, 2009 by oneparticularkitchen Are you all enjoying your sweet tea? [...]