Since the weatherman hasn't changed his mind about the hard freeze coming tonight, and since today is a day of celebration anyway (at least for candy-loving kids), I decided to celebrate the end of the growing season with one of my favorite summer rituals--making sun tea.
I love old-fashioned traditions, and I do my best to keep alive the ones that I can. Sun tea is a family tradition for me, and it's also one of the easiest.
I grew up with a jar of sun tea on the porch. Whenever the weather was warm, my mother would set a gallon-sized glass jar filled with water and some black tea bags outside in the sun to brew. A few hours of steeping in the warmth of the sunlight resulted in the smoothest, cleanest tasting tea in the world. Mom would stir in a gob of sugar, and immediately the tea transformed into pure, sweet liquid sunlight.
These days, with all the instant options available, we can mix up a pitcher of tea in no time. But to me, there's no comparison to a slow-brewed, sun-steeped glass of old-fashioned sun tea.
Here's all you need:
1 gallon glass jar with a lid
4 family-sized black tea bags
1 gallon of water
1 gob of sugar (use your judgement)
the sun
I grew up with a jar of sun tea on the porch. Whenever the weather was warm, my mother would set a gallon-sized glass jar filled with water and some black tea bags outside in the sun to brew. A few hours of steeping in the warmth of the sunlight resulted in the smoothest, cleanest tasting tea in the world. Mom would stir in a gob of sugar, and immediately the tea transformed into pure, sweet liquid sunlight.
These days, with all the instant options available, we can mix up a pitcher of tea in no time. But to me, there's no comparison to a slow-brewed, sun-steeped glass of old-fashioned sun tea.
Here's all you need:
1 gallon glass jar with a lid
4 family-sized black tea bags
1 gallon of water
1 gob of sugar (use your judgement)
the sun
I had a lot on the agenda today, and I knew the tea would take a few hours to brew. There was no time to waste, so I reached for my glass jar, tossed in the tea bags, and filled it with water. I put the lid on it and headed outside.
Normally I'd set my jar on the sidewalk in the sun, but with temps in the 40's, it certainly wasn't warm enough outside to brew my tea, even if the sun was shining bright. So I did the next best thing--I took it to the greenhouse.
Normally I'd set my jar on the sidewalk in the sun, but with temps in the 40's, it certainly wasn't warm enough outside to brew my tea, even if the sun was shining bright. So I did the next best thing--I took it to the greenhouse.
Along the way I passed my herb patch, and for fun, I picked a few sprigs of spearmint and lemon balm and added them to the mix.
I stepped into the warmth of the greenhouse and found a spot to set my jar. Then I went about my chores. It was a big day. I had to get the garden prepped for the freeze, and that involved getting the last of my outside container plants pulled inside the greenhouse, potting up a few herbs from garden plots, picking all the green tomatoes left on the vines, and freeze proofing the rain barrels.
Whew! That's a lot of work. By the time I finished my chores, the tea was ready. So I picked a few zinnias and stuck them in a vase, set a warm pretzel on a plate, poured myself a glass of tea, and arranged it all on a tray. Then I sat back to enjoy my refreshments, gazed around at the beauty of the garden one last time, and drank in a final taste of summer.
I noticed the flowers in full bloom, swaying in the breeze and soaking up the sunlight. They didn't seem a bit concerned with the coming freeze. In fact, they seemed to be taking full advantage of their final day of life by doing what they do best--living.
Tomorrow morning the flowers will be shriveled up, the vegetable patch will be mush, and the garden will go to sleep. It will be a different world out there.
But that's okay. It'll be back next year, it's all part of life.
As I sat there in the midst of my glorious garden on All Hallow's Eve and the eve of change, I could hear Steven Tyler singing in my head, and I agreed:
I don't want to miss a thing either.
Whew! That's a lot of work. By the time I finished my chores, the tea was ready. So I picked a few zinnias and stuck them in a vase, set a warm pretzel on a plate, poured myself a glass of tea, and arranged it all on a tray. Then I sat back to enjoy my refreshments, gazed around at the beauty of the garden one last time, and drank in a final taste of summer.
I noticed the flowers in full bloom, swaying in the breeze and soaking up the sunlight. They didn't seem a bit concerned with the coming freeze. In fact, they seemed to be taking full advantage of their final day of life by doing what they do best--living.
Tomorrow morning the flowers will be shriveled up, the vegetable patch will be mush, and the garden will go to sleep. It will be a different world out there.
But that's okay. It'll be back next year, it's all part of life.
As I sat there in the midst of my glorious garden on All Hallow's Eve and the eve of change, I could hear Steven Tyler singing in my head, and I agreed:
I don't want to miss a thing either.
And that includes trick or treating!
So Happy Halloween everybody!
P.S. If we show up on your doorstep tonight, I love chocolate.
Thank you in advance.
So Happy Halloween everybody!
P.S. If we show up on your doorstep tonight, I love chocolate.
Thank you in advance.
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