Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Sun Tea is Hazardous to Our Health

For the life of me I can not understand how I survived life as a child and managed to grow up into an adult and eventually into my senior years. It appears that everything that was accomplished during my youth was simply unhealthy for us. Now they claim that sun tea is a hazard to our health.

Several sources including the CDC is stating that the usual way that we made sun tea isn't even considered safe now days. If you are like me you are now sitting in from of your monitor in a semi-state of shock and disbelief. The claim is that our familiar sun tea which is usually brewed by simply being left in the bright sun to steep can possibly harbor deadly bacteria. This is in fact the same sun tea that we usually brew outside as the summer temperatures start to sour higher and higher.

Years ago we could not wait until the arrival of summer to take out our gallon container and start the brewing process. The sun tea rally beat the usual sodas that we had grown accustomed to during the winter months. In addition, the tasty tea always saved us money so we could purchase additional hot dogs and hamburgers to roast on the grill. I had always considered sun tea to be a healthy alternative while at the same time it could save valuable energy by using the power of the sun. However, the truth of the matter is that the tea made in this manner by merely placing bagged tea in a gallon glass jar of water can make us ill.

According to the CDC or the Centers for Disease Control the use of the suns rays tends to generate enough heat to activate bacteria within the tea water. The reasoning behind this is that the water being used to brew the tea will not get any hotter then a mere 130 degrees. These temperatures are the equivalent of a hot bath and not nearly hot enough to kill of any germs or bacteria that would be present in either the tea bags or the water itself. The CDC claims that the water would need to be boiled to at least 195 degrees for a period of five minutes in order to properly deal with any bacteria growth.

Alcaligenes viscolactis which is a bacterium that is found in water has appeared in the tea when it is made in this manner. It seems that the caffeine found in the tea itself may fend off the bacteria for a short period of time but it is not enough to ward it off completely. In addition the flavored or herbal teas that do not contain caffeine are considered to be even worse in this respect.

Positive recommendations are that you would be better off if you brew your tea the usual way with very hot and boiling water rather than risk getting a tea related illness. If you are insistent upon brewing sun tea the set of rules listed below are recommended.

* Cleanliness of the container is of first importance. It should be scrubbed with hot, soapy water or you could dip the container in a bleach solution (1.5 teaspoons to 1 gallon of water).
* Most sun tea containers have a small spigot attached and this should be carefully cleaned after each use.
* Do not leave your tea in the sun for longer then four hours maximum.
* Make only as much tea as you will be drinking.
* Place the completed tea in the refrigerator and keep it in there until it is used up.
* Throw the tea away if it looks the least bit syrupy or thick.

A much safer alternative would be to make refrigerator tea. To make this tea fill a clean pitcher with one quart of very cold water. Next add six tea bags to the water and refrigerate the pitcher for six hours. Squeeze out and remove the tea bags when done and serve your tea over ice.

Copyright @ 2009 Joseph Parish

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