Thursday, May 21, 2009

Easy Summer Refreshment

This weekend marks the official start of the summer. There are so many wonderful things I look forward to in the summer. I love the picnics, camping, fresh produce from the garden, and the great outdoors, but one of my favorite things in the summer is really very simple, a tall glass of iced peppermint sun tea. 

We are tea drinkers, and pretty much drink iced tea year round. We like tea made about any way, but it is best brewed in a glass jar sitting in the sun. That is hard to accomplish in the freezing temperatures and sporadic glimpses of the sun we get in the winter. In the spring, I can't wait to break out the gallon jar for a pitcher of tea. And as soon as the peppermint is up, that sun tea becomes peppermint sun tea. 

Peppermint Sun Tea
8 tea bags
a handful of peppermint
gallon of water

Put everything in a glass jar, and allow to sit in the sun. The time it takes to brew depends on your taste and the temperature outside, but it should take a least a few hours. I bring it in when it looks right. I remove the tea bags, but often just leave the peppermint in. We drink it unsweetened, but if you are a sweet tea fan dissolve some sugar in hot water to add to the tea. Serve in a nice tall glass over ice. 

Summer is full of wonderful things. The best of those things are the simple pleasures that come in this season. I count peppermint sun tea among those. 

3 comments:

  1. I love sun tea the best also. Can't wait to get a pitcher going myself. May have to see about getting some peppermint leaves and try this. Sounds oh so good. Thanks.

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  2. I love sun tea and I love peppermint - this sounds so utterly refreshing!!!

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  3. This sounds wonderful! I wouldn't have thought of adding the peppermint. I do have some Earl Grey tea... wonder how that would turn out as iced tea? Guess I'd better try it. :)

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