Herbal Sun Tea Recipes
By Amy Lupton
One of my favorite AND least favorite things about summer is the sun. Yep, you read that right. I have a love/hate relationship with this most life-giving star.
In Texas where the temperatures are regularly over 100 degrees F most days in July, August, September.. and sometimes October…it can be brutal for our bodies, plants and soil.
Everything is bowing under the power of this massive heat, yet some of the plants thrive. Peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, okra, sage, echinacea, cucumber, melon, and hemp just soak it up and ask for more. This is when the peppers literally take in the spicy heat, and you can taste it quick. The jalapeños become fire like overnight. Texans acclimate quick to the heat, your body remembers and your clothes become a sponge for sweat. Nothing like a hard days work in the 108 sun!
But then the sun ushers in nutrients we love, nothing like anything else. There is an aliveness to nature in the summer, everything is loud and pronounced. The frogs jump, the bugs are all around, the baby chicks chase blades of grass. The fireflies announce the night, the crickets play a symphony that goes till all hours. We love to sit on the back porch after a long day in the sun and listen to the night celebrate. We often have a cool off with a nice glass of herbal sun tea.
Herbs and water have been used for thousands of years to bring the body back into balance. Across cultures and time, there have been countless ways to infuse herbs into water. We love to use the Earths natural heater in Texas for our infusions. The sun!!
Whatever season, an herbal water is great for what ails you, but in the summer, the sun will make your tea for you, and add some energy along with it. :)
Here are some of our favorite sun tea recipes:
A few tips before the recipes:
~Always use a clean glass container for sun tea. A plastic container will leach plastic residue into the water you are drinking. A glass sun tea container is available at most retail supermarkets (in the summer months), and we also love to use half gallon mason jars as well. A sealable container is preferred, as this will keep your tea clean.
~You will want to drink the sun tea within 48 hours. Especially if you leave the tea bag or herbs in the tea. The sun to indoor environment is creating a perfect storm for mold (don’t be scared off by this, it is an overcautious precaution), so will need to be consumed relatively quick.
~Only leave the sun tea to steep in the sun for an afternoon (max 8 hours). It can change the nature of the herbs if left too long.
~Use herbs from your garden and experiment with flavors! We have several tea blends here that are perfect for your sun tea container. The sky is the limit, but please make sure your herbs are appropriate for you and your family, and quantify amounts for young children etc.
Pink Sky Sun
We love this recipe. The children will readily drink this pretty quick, they love the color and flavor. You can add organic syrup or maple syrup to this to make it palatable for kiddos if you need to, but the sour/mint flavor can be quite refreshing after some sun time, and even the neighbor kids are always happy with this one. :)
Hibiscus and mint are medicinal herbs that are nutritious for the being. Can be great for excess phlegm, and have antioxidants and vitamin C. It can be calming for anxiety, menstrual pain and blood pressure. If you have low blood sugar, high blood pressure, please use caution and don't drink heavy amounts of this blend. Also not for mamas in first trimester.
Start with a half gallon mason jar or glass container (make to size):
2 part hibiscus flowers (this is equivalent to 8 commercial hibiscus tea bags)
1 part peppermint leaves (this is equivalent to 4 commercial peppermint tea bags)
Optional: 4 tbs (or to taste) maple syrup or honey. We encourage you to source local happy bee honey or organic maple syrup, as it tastes better, and much better for the planet. :)
Sun Soak Calm
This is a wonderful calming blend that is magical on ice. Magical. You can feel and taste the Earth’s wisdom calming your nerves, nourishing you back up for the next day. This is great for kids, safe for pregnancy, and good for many as a tonic and nightly ritual.
Start with a half gallon mason jar or glass container (make to size):
1 part lemon balm (this is equivalent to 4 tea bags)
1 part chamomile (this is equivalent to 4 tea bags)
1 part nettle (this is equivalent to 4 tea bags)
2 part organic lemon slices (about 3 organic lemons sliced)
Sun Soaked Anti-Viral Blend
Well, this one came about this year (#rollercoaster2020). We wanted to have a tea blend that used anti-viral herbs, and we love them all. Plants are so amazing in every way, they usually present themselves to us in times of need, to each season perfect for building immunity for the next.
We recommend only drinking this blend every couple of weeks, as it is immune modulating. It needs an on/off approach. :) And yes, we give this to our children. Do your own research, and decide how you want to parent and present medicinal capacities to your children.
Start with a half gallon mason jar or glass container (make to size):
1 part tulsi (you can sub Basil from your garden, equivalent to 3 tea bags)
1 part ginger (equivalent to 3 tea bags)
1 part echinacea (equivalent to 3 tea bags)
1 part yarrow (equivalent to 3 tea bags)
We love to add a squeeze of lime and a pinch of sea salt to this one.
Emotional Sun High
We are emotional at this house. And when emotions run high, this is an excellent blend to balance it all out. Let the sun take care of the rest. :)
1 part chamomile (equivalent to 3 tea bags).
1 part rooibos (equivalent to 3 tea bags).
1 part ashwagandha (equivalent to 3 tea bags).
1 part cinnamon (equivalent to 3 tea bags).
Garnish with fruit such as orange peel, mint, lemon peel, stevia leaf, rose petal, apple sliced (can even add a dash of apple, orange, or lime juice). Best over ice in a pretty glass :)
Note:
If you don't want to make these blends, we have them for sale here. :) we love to source the purest, grow the bestest, and love the soil in between.
Happy Tea Making!
