Sun Tea

Posting about drying clothes outside got me thinking about my Gram's house where I always saw towels and sheets slowly rippling in the gentle breeze of summer. In that very same picture I recall a big jug of sun tea brewing on a bench.
What a beautiful memory!
So I decided to relive it and make my own.
My mother in law still makes it each summer in a gallon sized pickle jar (well washed, no worries) and she adds mint in for added flavor. It's delicious and I often selfishly drink most of the gallon all by myself.
Either way, if you've not tried it yet well then... quite simply... you should. 

What You'll Need:
a glass pitcher, jug, or jar (I don't recommend heating plastic so I always use glass)
a cover of some sort to keep the bees out
sugar (added in 1/4 c increments)
10 tea bags
a bunch of fresh mint leaves

What To Do:
Fill your pitcher 90% of the way with water.
Add the tea bags (to keep from having to collect stray bags, tie the strings of all the bags together so you can pull them out at once).
Cover with lid.
Place in direct sunlight.
The timing will vary based on how strong you like your tea and how hot the sun is that day.
I place ours on our grill which has a black cover so the sun was drawn in and it only took about an hour to steep the way I wanted it.
While tea is still warm, add sugar in 1/4 c increments and stir, keep doing this until you get your desired sweetness. (Mine took only 1/2 a cup).
If adding mint leaves... tear leaves off stem, add about a handful to the tea and stir. Recover= and place back in the sun until the flavors have melded the way you like them. This was only another 30 minutes for me on a very sunny day.
Refrigerate to cool and serve.