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One of the great qualities of tea is that it can be made without using any type of power. By harnessing the heat from the sun, tea can be brewed in a sun tea jar where the glass works like a magnifying glass to heat the water and steep the tea in the water. While jars may be available with many designs or decorations, the best sun tea jar is one that does not block the sun from penetrating the glass, allowing uniform heating of the water.

To make sun tea, place an appropriate number of tea bags in the water, held in place by securing the string on the bag under the lid. The sun tea jar is then placed in a position so that it will be in the direct sunlight for a minimum of two hours. As the water warms from the sun, the tea begins to brew. The color of the tea is an indicator as to how long the jar needs to sit in the sun.

Once it is at a suitable strength for the individual, the entire sun tea jar can be placed in the refrigerator, once the bags have been removed, to chill and made into iced tea. If hot tea is preferred, the tea can be heated in a tea pot or in the microwave with the end result being a tasty fresh-brewed flavor.

Sun Also Helps Dispel Water Impurities

Water left sitting in the sun heated by the sun tea jar will usually have fewer impurities than tea made by plunging a tea bag into water taken from the tap and heated on the stove. Additionally, if there does appear that some impurities have survived their time in the sun the tea can be filtered through coffee filter paper to remove them.

Some of the better sun tea jar ideas include those with a spout built into the glass jar. When the tea has reached its appropriate strength, the tea can be poured out of the spout into a glass of ice. Sweetening the tea with sugar or artificial sweetener is at the taste of the tea maker.

Whether an sun tea jar is used at home or taken on a camping trip, since there is no need for any type of power to heat the water, a batch of fresh brewed sun tea can be enjoyed anywhere. Allowing it to bake in the sun all day can provide cool liquid refreshment throughout the evening.