Sun Tea

I started by filling this glass container with filtered water. This container hold 64oz.

I was looking for a black tea for this and found this stashed away. I don't really like Lipton teas, but I wild berry sounded good for Iced Tea.

 Because I'm using a 64 oz container, I put in 8 tea bags. Basically, a bag per 8 oz. I like my tea strong, so depending on your preference add as much tea as you like. Sun tea can also be made with loose leaf tea.

Here, I've gathered the ends and knotted them for easy removal. 

 I've secured the ends with a black rubber band.

 

 Put the lid on.

 Cover with a couple Coffee filters and secure with a rubber band.

 I set this outside in a full sun area at 7:30 am.

 Here the tea is at 3:00 pm.

 Here it is a 5:00 pm.

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 I brought the tea in a 5:00.

 Add a half cup of sugar, or to taste.

 Stir well and enjoy.

Sun Tea

Tomorrow I'll be making sun tea. I'm not sure what kind of tea I'll use... Probably some black tea I have hidden in my cupboards. I WILL NOT  be boiling this before or after. I'm not afraid, I've consumed sun tea since I was a little girl... and I've also consumed Kombucha, which has WAAAAY more bacteria than sun tea. BTW... Sun tea is pasteurized....  Survival specialists have used the power of the sun to pasteurize water for years. Pasteurization taking a substance and using low heat to kill the bacteria. Low heat and a long time. Also, if you stick this in the refrigerator afterwards, that slows the growth of bacteria to a stand still. I know that for a fact from petri dishes...

Not all bacteria are bad!!! The human body is NOT sterile. Adding natural bacteria found in most drinking water is adding competition for really bad bacteria like E.Coli 0104: H4... I'm not referring to the E.coli that's found in the human colon... I'm referring to the deadly kind of E.coli. The kind you study in Microbiology.

I'll be adding the sugar after its finished brewing and then sticking it into the fridge. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE.... Don't be afraid of sun tea or kombucha... both are very healthy in small amounts. The only time something bad happens is when there is an overgrowth or you consume too much. For instance, Gardia can be found in almost everyone's fecal matter in this Valley... why is no one sick? Because there isn't an overgrowth. People have enough competitive bacteria in their systems to fight it off. Kombucha can make people sick, but mostly its because of them consuming a 16 oz. bottle a day for a month... That's like drinking Apple Cider vinegar every day for a month. This can cause Metabolic Acidosis(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/fashion/25Tea.html), and can be contaminated with a type of toxic fungus. Which is why I wouldn't recommend making your own or buying it from someone one off the street. But drinking bottled kombucha can supplement probiotics and can really whiten your teeth! Just don't drink it every day.