Summertime is here, and while it’s really my least favorite season, it definitely has its perks. From strawberry picking to all kinds of family deals (largely due to school being out), summer can really be full of fun. Sweet, cold summer iced tea is definitely one of the best things that come out of the summer months as well.
I remember every time I went to visit my grandmother during the summertime, she would have this enormous pitcher of sun tea out on her picnic table, nearly sizzling in the sunlight. The pitcher was clear and covered with a lemon pattern, and just staring at it would make my mouth water.
Making sun tea is very simple; you can get how-to instructions and watch a video about it here. But what about the dangers associated with sun tea? Are they legit?
When I took a ServSafe class in 2004 for my brief restaurant management career (yeah, that was fun! Note my sarcasm) I learned that it was indeed true. And if you don’t believe me, just check it out on Snopes. Sun tea can definitely breed bacteria.
But the thing is, I’ve never been sick off sun tea, and I’ve had quite a bit of it. In fact, I’ve never been sick on tea, period—and I’m pretty sure there were times that I made tea that did not boil in the microwave and in the coffee maker. Am I willing to risk making sun tea now? Well, now that I have a child, as well as no insurance, I’m a bit more careful than I used to be.
That said, people who do want to make sun tea can follow some simple directions to keep it safe—such as making sure their tea containers are super clean before they are used. Making only enough tea to drink in one day and removing the tea from the sunlight within three hours are other ways to make it safer to drink.
Still, the Centers for Disease Control maintain that your tea reach 195 degrees for at least three minutes to be safe to drink—and it won’t get hotter than 130 degrees on your porch.
All of this said, I can still guarantee you that your tea could be just as sanitary as the tea you buy from restaurants. When I worked at one, I saw that nasty tea container remain unscrubbed, its spigot filthy and insides painted brown. While I always made sure it was scrubbed and sanitized on my night shift, I could also be sure to see it look disgusting when I came back on the day shift. And let me tell you, that thing smelled so nasty that even I refused to drink tea from it.
So if you’re really worried about your tea safety, I would suggest making it at home, indoors, on the stove, the old fashioned way. But in all honesty, if you do eat fast food, or leftovers, or tea with garnishes at restaurants, or pretty much any other thing that most Americans consume at some point, you’re putting yourself at risk anyway.