Is sun tea safe?
I've got two quarts of sun tea brewing on the deck right now. But I just ran across an article warning about the bacterial dangers of brewing tea in the sun.
According to Snopes, the Centers for Disease Control states brewing sun tea can mean growth of Alcaligenes viscolactis, a bacteria common in water. Sun-heated water won't get any hotter than 130 degrees Fahrenheit, which is not hot enough to kill off bacteria. If your sun tea gets thick/syrupy and you see ropey strands, that's bacteria. Yikes -- I recall seeing strands in my sun tea when I've left it in the fridge too long!
Snopes shares a few common sense brewing tips if you insist on sun tea, as well as a safer way to brew tea overnight in your fridge. While I grew up on sun tea, I'm now imagining drinking long strands of bacteria -- yech. Maybe it's time to boil water and steep the tea bags instead.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-21-2008 @ 1:24PM
hnkelley said...
That's true in so far as it goes. BUT, I've seen this happen in my big jug of refrigerated Arizona Green Tea, too. I use this as only an example, not to slight them... I love the stuff! Point is, just be careful how long you keep food and drink, especially when it isn't refrigerated, but even if it is.
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