Iced Tea Concentrate

[Che]

I used to make alot of sun tea back in the 70s....but I also remember when it was discouraged for pretty much the reasons Carl so colorfully described.

Personally, I've been using the 'Cold Brew' by Lipton.....2 bags in my 1/2 gallon jar gives me my allowed daily intake of caffeine. I think it's healthier than my normal 6 or 7 diet colas. I kinda quit making it for the family as no one else seems to know how to either wash out a gallon jar or brew some themselves. Tough love!!

Including myself, I've had five people try this concentrate and so far we agree, it tastes pretty much the same as what used to sit in the gallon jar.

Here's what wikipedia says about sweet tea. When we go to Minnesota, my daughter goes through sweet tea withdrawal.

 

[vharrison]

Wow, I thought sweet tea was a southern thang. Down here, a waitress won't ask you if you want sweet tea, but when we go to Georgia, they do. You wont sweeeet tea?

 

[TheTreeWiseMen]

Tea is tea where I come from.......it's only you guys who insist on 'icing' it.....or dumping it in the harbour.

 

[OTGBOSTON]

Tea is tea where I come from.......it's only you guys who insist on 'icing' it.....or dumping it in the harbour.

 

[sotc]

hmmm might need to do that again

 

[Paul B]

we brew up a pot of tea and just put it in the fridge to cool. We use green tea or one of the fruit teas. sometimes a bit of sugar or splenda at the cup to sweeten it.

 

[JamesTX]

I drink sun tea. But, I'll also kiss my kids on the lips, let the dog lick my face, and invoke the 5 second rule for dropped food.

 

[hmm]

I do the green tea instead of the harbor dumped type - just no sugar or lemon - plain here over ice

 

[TheTreeWiseMen]

Just think, The Boston Tea Party was over a 3% tax.....you lot wanna get 'dumping' again.

 

[lumberjack]

I drink sun tea. But, I'll also kiss my kids on the lips, let the dog lick my face, and invoke the 5 second rule for dropped food.

Where's the advantage to sun tea over more refined brewing methods? Does the flora of the tea add a distinctive flavour?

 

[sotc]

easy, you dont heat up the house, just set it out before work and its ready when you get home

 

[lumberjack]

So why not just put it in the fridge? Same effect, less floranated tea, and even more energy savings.

 

[sotc]

not sure what floranated is but seems some heat should be involved but maybe not

 

[RentalDude]

Anyone know how many regular tea bags it takes to equal a family sized tea bag?

 

[lumberjack]

Floranate was an attempted pun at the bacteria that multiplies in sun tea.

I'll put a tea bag in a glass of water tonight, sticking it in the fridge. I'll report back in the morning if it worked or not.

Sorry Jerry, aint got a clue.

 

[lumberjack]

I was suprised, I didn't expect to see much this morning.


9 hours at 33-34*. There was ice forming on the top of the water. "Very strong" tea.

 

[sotc]

my last touch of hippy...... gone

 

[mryb]

I was suprised, I didn't expect to see much this morning. 9 hours at 33-34*. There was ice forming on the top of the water. "Very strong" tea.

Is the black stuff in the bottom of the glass the bacteria you were talking about? I just want to make sure what Im looking for...Thanx/Rick

 

[lumberjack]

No, it's more concentrated tea. I left that in the fridge over night (9 hours), thus no/minimal bacteria can develop at a degree or two above freezing.

 

[Che]

Floride is added to water to help with tooth decay (Floride...florinated), Chloride is added to water to help with bacteria in the water (Chloride....chlorinated)

3 regular sized tea bags = 1 family sized tea bag.

I usually use 4 FSbags per gallon of regularly brewed iced tea

Good experiment, Carl. Did it taste as strong as brewed?

 

[lumberjack]

E is right about florInated, I said florAnated. If I had been somewhat witty, I would have more aptly said faunated, but it doesn't have the same ring to it.

It was way stronger than normal, then again it was a 1FS in 8-10oz of water.

I still figure it'd be a less efficient (in terms of tea extracted from the bags) than brewing, and you'd still need to heat the water to dissolve the sugar, so I'll probably keep brewing.

 

[RentalDude]

Thanks Che for the help all I have is the regular size bags.

 

[Tucker943]

I drink tea however it is served to me. I personally dont give a shit how its made. No form of tea has ever made me sick. I eat plenty of cheese day to day. That there is bacteria. better yet, how bout beer or wine. Plenty of organisms there. I'm no scientist, but I know the body can deal with a certain level of bacteria. I am looking forward to giving that tea concentrate a rip.
When i stop and think about sun-brewed tea, it does seem a bit less sanitary than conventional brewing, but, it never gave me the least bit of trouble.

 

[lumberjack]

You do realize there's different kinds of bacteria right? Bacteria isn't an ambiguous word that doesn't effect our daily lives (mostly in a positive way).

 

[Tucker943]

Yes, i am very aware of the fact that we have harmful and beneficial bacteria. So far, never had any sun brewed tea that made me aware of the fact that it had harmful bacteria. I'll keep drinking though. maybe one day a case of the shits will teach me a lesson.
In the mean time, I'm certain that the bacteria that lives under the ends of our finger nails is more dangerous than a glass of old-fashioned tea. Just my opinion.