Mixed-Bag Sun Tea

“Here in the South, we don’t hide crazy. We put it on the front porch and give it a sweet tea.” unknown author

Forget the sweet tea, actually. You won’t need sugar if you try this Mixed-Bag Sun Tea. As easy as a summer afternoon, the sun does all the work and creates a mellow tea that’s even better than the kind brewed on the stove top. Enjoy!

Fill a large glass pitcher (like a half gallon or so) with room-temperature water. Filtered tastes better. Add seven bags of tea — four real tea (black or green) and three herbal tea (chai, berry, citrus, peppermint, etc. or throw in some herbs from the garden if you like.)

Rubber band a dish cloth over the top to keep the bugs out and set the whole thing in the sun. Whenever the tea looks the right color to you — brewing speed depends on how sunny and warm the day is — taste a sip. If it’s strong enough for your liking, remove the bags and refrigerate the pitcher. Serve in tall glasses, with lots of ice, on a porch near you.

P.S. “Dune Girl,” my e-book beach read, contains several more recipes from the South. That “Aunt Naomi” makes a killer chess pie… Want to know more and pay less? “Dune Girl” is on an Amazon Countdown Deal that begins 8 a.m. PDT (California time) Sunday, Aug. 12. The price drops to 99 cents that first day and goes up $1 a day until normal prices resume on Wednesday, Aug. 15. Find out more at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DLC6K43.