Red Clover and Honeysuckle - An Herbal Sun Tea Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What tea is best for sun tea? ›

Sun tea is traditionally made using black tea such as Lipton or Luzianne. For your homemade sun tea, you can use any black tea you like or opt for herbal teas instead. The tea is often sweetened using sugar cane or brightened up with the addition of fruit.

Red clover can be infused in hot water to make a delicious herbal tea. To make, pour hot water over 1-3 teaspoons of red clover, and let steep for 10-15 minutes. This tea has a natural light sweetness to it, but you can add honey if desired.

Cover the jar and set it in a sunny place for 6 to 8 hours. Alternatively, place the jar in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. Strain out herbs and ginger, add lemon or orange slices, and sweeten tea if desired. Serve over ice.

Place tea bags in gallon jar and fill with water; place cover or cap loosely on jar. Place jar in direct sunshine. Steep tea for 3 to 4 hours (do not exceed 4 hours)

The Risk of Sun Tea

Bacteria thrive in warmth. 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.

People who have been diagnosed with breast cancer should not use red clover without discussing it with their physician. Red clover may increase the risk of bleeding, particularly in those people who are taking blood-thinning medications.

Red clover is an herb used in traditional medicine to treat a wide range of health issues, such as hot flashes, osteoporosis, arthritis, and skin and hair disorders. Some research has found taking 40–80 mg of red clover daily may help reduce severe menopausal hot flashes.

Researchers have found that, on average, adult women using red clover extract experience significant improvements in the health of their scalps, hair and skin within 90 days of use, including lowering signs of aging, collagen loss and hair thinning.

Spices are generally safe for consumption, but when consumed in excess you may have to deal with some common side effects. Drinking this clove tea once or twice a day is good for health and if you consume more then you may have to deal with gastrointestinal distress, muscle pain and fatigue.

Drink non-aromatic teas (i.e., nettle, red clover) within 12 hours, or store them in the fridge for up to two days. If you're getting toward the edge of those limits, trust your nose and taste buds! If they tell you something is off, don't drink the tea.

Does red clover tea give you energy? ›

Consuming red clover tea can also increase energy levels, making exercise easier and more enjoyable. Furthermore, the antioxidants in red clover tea have been found to help reduce cholesterol levels in the body, leading to improved cardiovascular health and decreased risk of heart disease.

The common loose-leaf tea should not be steeped for more than 5 minutes. Depending on the variety, steeping longer than 5 minutes won't hurt your cup of tea but it can change the flavor of the tea, increase the amount of potential caffeine and may cause the tea to have a more bitter taste.

About 9am, fill your pitcher with the water, and tea bags. The reason for the screw on top, is so that ants don't get to the tea. Let the tea sit in the sun for most of the day, a prime full sun location is best.

Warm, damp spots, like a jar filled with water and tea leaves and placed in the sun, can be a breeding ground for unhealthy bacteria – especially if sugar is added to the sun tea while it is steeping. Temperature changes only encourage this growth, and the sun can't heat the water hot enough to stop it.

I usually make sun tea with various forms of herbal tea. Sometimes you can put in a few sprigs of fresh mint as well.

Use a thoroughly cleaned and sanitized container. Opt for distilled water or boiled which would have killed any bacteria. Leave it out for up to 4 hours maximum. Strain and refrigerate immediately.

Regular tea is brewed using hot water, while sun tea is brewed using cold water and the heat of the sun.

Tea that is made with cold or room temperature water and left to brew out on the counter all day or kept in a jar under the sun, is at a higher risk for bacterial growth.