A vendor at my farmer’s market started selling fresh chamomile flowers this past week. They were so pretty and cheerful, like the essence of springtime, that I had to get some, even if it was to do nothing more than make tea.

The day after I brought the chamomile home, the temperature went up to ninety degrees. I was craving a cool drink, and could think of nothing more refreshing to enjoy that evening than a glass of ice-cold, nerve-soothing chamomile tea. I had never made sun tea before, always thinking of it as a country treat for sipping in the backyard, which I don’t have. I decided to try making the tea on my fire escape. I snipped the fresh flowers from their stems and put them in a large, clean glass jar. I filled the jar with filtered water, screwed on the lid, and left it to sit in the sun. Lo and behold, by dark, I had sun tea.

I’m not a huge fan of standard chamomile tea that’s made from dried flowers and sold in tea bags. As a friend of mine observed, it tastes like hay. But the fresh stuff I made was sweet and flowery, with notes of lemon and banana. It didn’t taste like any chamomile tea I’d ever had. Although my fire escape only gets partial sun, after eight hours outside, the water was fully infused with flavor. A lack of direct sunlight isn’t a deterrent; on a hot day, it's possible to steep tea in the shade. You’ll still get lots of flavor because the water heats up from the surrounding hot air, and heat is the catalyst to drawing out flavor.

Look for fresh chamomile flowers at your local farmer’s market, natural food stores, or growing wild. If you can’t find fresh flowers, use dried from a tea bag. For best results using dried chamomile, use recently purchased tea, as it tends to lose its flavor over time. You can add a little honey and lemon juice to your tea, and give it more herbal flair with cooling mint. Or, just enjoy it plain. I’m looking forward to making the tea with other herbs, such as lemon verbena and mint, and with sliced fresh fruit such as strawberries, peaches, and apples. Do you ever make sun tea? If so, please share your favorite formulas; I’d like to try some different ones. Wherever you are this weekend, make sure to drink lots of water and stay well hydrated!

Chamomile Sun Tea
¼ cup freshly trimmed chamomile flowers, rinsed in cold water
4 cups water

Place the flowers in a clean glass jar or container, and pour in the water. Seal the jar. If you are using a glass bowl or pitcher, cover with a plate or with cheesecloth held in place by a rubber band. Set the jar outside in the sun, and leave to steep for 8-12 hours. Strain out the flowers before serving.

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