I made/brewed a gallon jar of ice tea with the large tea bags on the countertop yesterday afternoon.....

Now here's the question; does this stuff need to be refrigerated, and if so, how long is it good for just sitting on the countertop at room temperature?

I have always refrigerated it - but I bought a watermellon that's taking up all the room in the refrigerator. I can only eat so much watermellon or drink so much tea a day.

I'd put the ice tea or the watermellon in the motorcoach's galley refrigerator - except while I'm at my homebase in Texas, the coach sits at a somewhat severe angle where the refer won't function properly on the slope of my lot/land.

__________________
'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

If you have a burst-proof container, fill it up about 2/3 of the way and freeze it.

When you see the slime accumulating in the tea in the form of small sheets, you'll know it's time to brew a new gallon.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

How long do you plan to keep it?

I drink iced tea in the summer like it is water. Load it up with sugar and bam an instant refreshing drink.

If you need the space for 2 or 3 days it's ok to leave it out. Just put it into a container that has a seal able top.

__________________
-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.

To answer an above Q; I'd like it to be good for 5-6 days? I know that may be pushing it.

If it's ice tea it needs to be refrigerated otherwise it's not ice tea. It's just room temp. tea.

You really should keep it cold. You don't want mold and yeast to start growing.

__________________
You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

I never drink it if it's over 24 hours old...it's so cheap, why worry about it? My mother refused to refrigerate brewed tea, she swore up and down it got a bitter aftertaste, she just added ice to room-temp tea.

__________________
2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics

the flavor goes off after a couple of days even in the fridge and if you leave it out it'll start growing slime in 2 days..ditto on the cheap part. make a new gallon every day..my son drinks it like water too. I like good sweet tea with fried chicken and lemon pie, otherwise I'll take beer.

__________________
You're a daisy if you do.
__________________________________
84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

This one thinks 2 out, 3 in.

http://www.teasetc.com/tea/article.asp?ID=33&Name=Brewi...


This one 2 out for bottled Zona tea.

http://www.shelflifeadvice.com/content/how-long-can-i-keep-ready-drink-iced-tea

"The customer service line provided these guidelines: ready-to-drink iced tea, once opened, should be consumed within 7-10 days if refrigerated, 2-3 days if unrefrigerated. You'll be able to tell when it's no longer safe for consumption, as it will start to smell like wine and may even start to get moldy."

From Susan Krumm, family and consumer sciences with K-State Research and Extension-Douglas County:

While tea leaves can become contaminated with coliform bacteria, the most probable cause of the introduction of bacteria to tea is through errors in food handling. To support this, the Tea Association showed that tea brewed in a clean urn at 175 degrees or higher and stored at room temperature had no detectable coliform counts during the first 16 hours of storage. Thus, if the tea is brewed at an appropriate temperature, storage conditions and/or cleaning and disinfecting of the tea dispenser becomes the primary areas that could lead to contamination.

Here are some recommendations to minimize the risk that may come with drinking iced tea:

• Sun tea is not recommended. The practice of making “sun tea” by steeping the bags in a container of water in the sun may be a higher risk than brewing tea at high temperatures because it provides an environment where bacteria are more likely to survive and multiply.

• Iced tea should be brewed at 195 degrees for three to five minutes and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

• Store tea bags or loose tea in a dark, cool and dry place away from strong odors and moisture. Do not store tea bags in the refrigerator. Do not store tea in containers above the stove because it is too humid and warm. You can store tea bags in a freezer container, within the freezer.

• Never hold finished brewed tea for more than eight hours at room temperature. The recommendation is to make only enough for immediate use.

Brew-in-the-fridge iced tea

1 quart cold water in a container

4 or 5 tea bags (or one Numi Iced Tea one-quart size tea bag)

Refrigerator for two hours or overnight (the longer the tea steeps, the better the taste.) Remove the tea bags by squeezing them gently between two large spoons. Add fruit sections, sugar, sweetener or ice, as desired. Keep tea refrigerated. Enjoy!

It doesn't last in our house long enough to worry about!!!

__________________
2004 E320 Wagon W211
2000 CLK430 Convertible W208
1985 300SD W126
1983 300D W123

As far as I can tell, Ice T doesn't appear to be too happy sitting on a shelf for very long...

__________________
2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

It's truly a shame that most schools have done away with "home ec" classes where food handling safety and some modicrum of culinary knife skills can be taught.

Simple bacteria loves warm, moist surfaces. It's the cell life equivalent to New Orleans during Mardi Gras or San Padre Island during spring break.

Add some old raw hamburger to it, it'll be ok.

I heard of a Native American from the local Casino area tribe who drank 4 gallons of tea one evening on a dare.

He was found dead the next morning in his tea pee!

__________________
'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert