Sun tea — tea that is brewed outside in the sun rather than hot water — is a popular summertime favorite. Sun tea preparation is different than the traditional method of making iced tea, which involves brewing tea leaves in hot water and then pouring it over ice. Sun tea is a popular trend because it involves no electricity, and is virtually dummy-proof.
Anywhere between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F is their sweet spot (also known as the temperature danger zone). Sun tea rarely gets hotter than 130 degrees F, giving bacteria a chance to grow while it steeps for hours in the sun. The CDC’s guidelines specifically suggest avoiding the practice of making sun tea.
The Problem With Plastic
The other potential health risk comes from the jar itself. If you have been using a plastic sun tea jar, the bright light of the sun will activate the chemicals in the plastic, causing them to leach into your tea, which can cause endocrine disruption and hormone imbalances. Chemicals from plastic can eventually lead to other health problems, including inflammation, obesity, neurological disorders, and even cancer.
Sun Tea Can Be A Perfect Breeding Ground For Bacteria
Sun tea is prepared by pouring cool water over tea leaves in a gallon jar, then placing outside to infuse in the sunlight. What makes sun tea unsafe is that the water simply doesn’t reach a high enough temperature during the steeping process to kill any bacteria that might be in the water, on the tea leaves, or inside the sun tea jar itself. Even on a bright hot sunny day, the temperature is unlikely to exceed 130°F, not nearly hot enough to kill any nasty bacteria such as E. coli. Even worse is a bacteria called Alcaligenes viscolactis, which can turn your tea thick, syrupy, and stringy, causing severe nausea and digestive distress if you happen to drink it. Yuck!
STOP Drinking Tea Until You Watch This
FAQ
Is sun tea safe to drink?
Is sun tea better than regular tea?
What does sun tea do for you?
Why don’t people make sun tea anymore?
Is Sun Tea safe?
Since it doesn’t reach a temperature high enough to kill potential bacterial contamination and hangs out in the danger zone for some time, sun tea comes with a bit of risk (like many things in life). But you should be safe to use a steeping time of four hours or less, Schaffner says.
Is it good for you to drink tea?
Numerous studies have shown that a variety of teas may boost your immune system, fight off inflammation, and even ward off cancer and heart disease. While some brews provide more health advantages than others, there’s plenty of evidence that regularly drinking tea can have a lasting impact on your wellness.
Is Sun Tea a healthy alternative?
At first glance, sun tea appears a viable and healthful alternative, harnessing as it does the energy of the sun to produce a zero-calorie drink one would presume contains all the benefits of tea brewed in the more usual fashion. Yet therein lies the rub.
Can Sun Tea make you sick?
Some research shows that brewing tea in sunlight may encourage the growth of bacteria that can make humans sick ( 1 ) ( 2 ). While the risk is extremely low, it is higher than when the tea is brewed using boiling water or hot water. The vast majority of individuals who brew sun tea will not experience negative side effects when brewing this tea.