Monday, August 18, 2008

Challenge 12: Make Sun Tea

Sun Tea uses Solar Energy
I hope to enjoy the remaining summer days with an endless supply of sun tea. While the days are still long and the sun is still intense, I set out a glass jar with water and a few tea bags right before mid-day. The sun can make tea in a few hours with zero carbon emissions.

My favorite sun tea uses fresh mint leaves from my garden. After less than half day in the sun, I have minty-fresh water that tastes great when I add a bit of sugar and stick it in the fridge.

This costs me nothing and uses no energy, save for putting it in the fridge. I pre-cool my tea by adding a few ice cubes, so that the fridge doesn’t need to work so hard.



Harness the Power of the SunThis REDUCES my overall use of electricity or gas, since the sun is heating the water. That little glass jug is a great way to harness solar power without any fancy equipment.

Use the sun to cookFor other adventures in sun-cooking.


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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have an aunt who has made sun tea all summer every summer for as long as I can ever remember. I admit, I haven't made it often. It is something I'm going to start doing as I search out more and more ways to "green up" my life. :-)

I think I live a lot greener that a lot of folks but not as green as others. I'm probably somewhere in the middle, striving to learn and do more to help save the environment daily.

*smiles*
Michele

Anita K said...

Michele-
That's exactly what I am trying to do here, to reach the folks in the middle and the folks maybe a little less than in the middle - to show how easy shifts in habit can save a few units of CO2! After a year of challenges, so simple to integrate into one's life, we should be doing many things that are right for the environment.

Patchi said...

Here is a method for brewing ice tea in the fridge, no heating required:

http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/information/INFOicedTea_coldWaterMethod.asp