Sun tea, without the sun.

[dalesql]

So I finally decided to try the sun tea thing. But I'm living in a hotel room, and there isn't very much sun available to me. So I'm trying desk lamp tea. I bought some quart mason jars, since I wanted to be able to grab a sealed unit as I am walking out the door and add to a cup of ice once I got to work. and a size that is about the amount of iced tea I drink in the morning. So a quart works for me. YMMV.

SO I lined up a few bottles, filled them with cold tap water, plunked in two teabags of my current favored black tea, capped them and lined them up on a side table where they would not be in the way. They sat overnight, and the next morning there was the odd sight of the bottom inch having tea colored water, and the rest of it still clear. I tried one, just mixed it up and tried it. I was expecting it to be weak, but it was actually about the right strength for iced tea, and not bad. tried another this evening, after 24 hours of steeping, and it was about the same strength, and not bitter from overbrewing. So far surprisingly good.

Edit!

So for optimum flavor for me, about 24 hours is the right amount of time to steep the tea. Once the time goes over about 48 or so hours, the bitter flavors overwhelm the taste. 12 hours is pretty good, but 24 hours is slightly better.

Comments

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Next time you are in a grocery store, look for Lipton Cold Brew tea. No sun needed, tea bags and cold water. It might be faster for you.

[plonq.livejournal.com]

I did something similar with cold-brewed coffee. Letting the grounds steep in cool, or room-temperature water extracts a very different flavour profile from the beans.

Once things settle down a bit around here this summer I am going to get back to it.

[dalesql.livejournal.com]

And if you leave the jug of tea at room temperature about 36 hours, (like over a long weekend) there were things growing in the tea. I assume some sort of mold or something. I noticed them when I was pouring out the rest of the jar into my cup of ice. Yuck.

So I thought about my ability to be able to consistantly just brew the tea each morning for the next morning, and not forget or something, and decided that I would not want to take the risk. So back to the old method, brewing an extra large mug of hot tea each morning, and then pouring it over a cup full of ice when I want it cold.