Idea: Sun Tea

I am a tea addict.  I am also not a big fan of the heat.  Thus, during the summer, I'd much rather my tea be iced.  Now, you can go the traditional way.  Hot tea + ice = iced tea.  Simple.  It works, but, I find this way can mute some of the flavors in the tea.

Sun tea is a great alternative, especially when you're making a flavored iced tea.  Letting the sun do all the work brings out the natural flavors of fruit, herb, and nut.  You'll discover flavors in the tea you didn't know were there.  Plus, it's easy!

Put one tablespoon whole leaf tea per cup of water into a glass pitcher.  Set in the sun for 4 hours.  Sweeten, as needed, with simple sugar or agave.  Serve over ice, refrigerating any remainder.  I fact, you might just want to make a big pitcher of it and keep in the fridge!  Even when drinking cold, still serve over ice, as the tea is strong.

This works best with white, green or black teas, especially flavored ones.  Oolongs generally don't taste as nice this way, though there are exceptions.  My favorite teas to use are white blueberry, genmaicha, and black peach.