How to Brew Your NORA Pregnancy Tea as Summer Sun Tea
Summer means warmth and sunshine! And what better way to harness the God-given power of the sun than to use it to create a beautiful sun tea with your NORA pregnancy tea.
Whether you’re pregnant or not, we love brewing our NORA or NOA tea this way in the summer because it’s easy, tasty, and creates a refreshing and mineral-packed tea that is sure to quench your thirst this summer!
What is sun tea?
Sun tea is a method of cold-brewing tea that relies on the power of the sun instead of boiling water. The sun's heat and UV light break down the leaves, releasing or infusing their flavor (and nutrients) into the water.
If you are from the southern U.S., this traditional way of brewing tea may bring about a bit of nostalgia from your childhood! If this is entirely new to you, that’s okay, too!
The biggest difference is that sun tea uses cold or room temperature water and the heat of the sun instead steeping tea leaves in boiling water. This method takes a bit of time as you would allow your tea to infuse in the water outside in the sunshine for about 2-4 hours, depending on the heat level. The hotter it is, the shorter the time frame.
There’s a small risk of bacteria growing over time which is why you want to monitor your tea and keep it from exceeding 140°F. You’ll also want to allow it to cool properly and refrigerate it once you strain it.
What kind of tea can I use?
Typically, you would use black or green tea bags, however almost any tea — like our herbal NORA pregnancy tea— will do! One of the benefits of a sun tea infusion is that you can enjoy a more nutrient-dense and full body flavored tea.
We also do not recommend using tea bags as many are bleached and contain harmful chemicals and cancer-causing plastics that can leach into your tea. Instead we recommend using loose leaf tea added directly to the glass jar or contained in a cheese cloth for a quicker clean up!
To learn more on that, you can read our blog here on the benefits of a loose leaf tea infusion and the risks of conventional tea bags.
Before you get started
Okay, we know you’re probably ready to get to brewing so here are a few things to know / consider before you check out our recipe below.
Container: Make sure you use a glass jar or container for your sun tea (not plastic) and make sure it’s properly cleaned/sanitized ahead of time. We love these gallon kombucha jars from Amazon.
Weather: Pick a day where you know it’s going to be sunny and you’ll be home to monitor your brew for up to four hours!
Try a cheese cloth: Instead of tea bags, try organic loose leaf green, white or herbal teas wrapped in a cheese cloth for less mess and quicker clean up!
Overnight brew: To make a stronger (and more nutrient dense) tea, you can keep your tea infusing in the fridge once you bring it in. We like to brew NORA tea for at least 8 hours or overnight in the fridge. We recommend adding ice cubes immediately upon bringing the tea inside to facilitate the cooling process before refrigeration.
Think about flavor! Do you want to add lemon, honey, ginger, mint or any other type of herb, citrus or sweetener to your sun tea? We love using lemon and honey with our NORA pregnancy tea.
Pro tip: Save some of your finished sun tea and freeze it in ice cube trays so your glass doesn’t get watered down!
*Our NORA sun tea is toddler approved!
Try Our NORA Sun Tea Recipe
Now for the good part!
INGREDIENTS
1 gallon glass jar
1.25 cups loose leaf tea (We used our NORA pregnancy tea blend)
¾ gal filtered water
1 organic lemon (sliced)
Cheese cloth (optional, but very helpful)
¼ cup raw honey (or preferred sweetener)
Ice
DIRECTIONS
Fill your glass jar with ¾ gallons of filtered water (basically, leave some space for add-ins and ice)
Take your 1.25 cups of loose leaf tea and either dump it directly into your glass jar or wrap it up securely in a cheese cloth and add it to the water. Secure lid.
Place the jar with tea outside in direct warm sun for 2 hours. You can monitor with a cooking thermometer to make sure it does not exceed 140 degrees F.
After 2 hours, bring your sun tea inside
Add 1/4 cup honey (maple syrup or other preferred sweetener) and stir well
Add 1 lemon sliced (and any other desired citrus or herbs)
Add ice to the container and let it steep overnight in the fridge with your NORA tea.
Strain in the morning, enjoy within 3 days.
Conclusion
And that’s our recipe for brewing your very own NORA pregnancy sun tea recipe this summer to keep you cool and nourished! Our family will be enjoying this ALL summer long. We hope you enjoy this fun sunny take on our regular NORA tea brewing instructions, and that you get creative in your own sun tea summer creations.
Tag us on Instagram (@fruitofthewombherbals) to share your recipes!
