Sun tea

I think I’ve turned my husband into a Southerner. He has developed a deep love of iced tea, to the point that he became fascinated with the idea of making sun tea.

The only glass pitcher we had with a top, however, was my very old Snoopy orange juice pitcher. He made a perfectly marvelous batch of sun tea with it, and it was so good, he wanted more.

Which, since he’s a man, translated into bigger, the zenith of which, in kitchen gadget land, is the Sur la Table 2-gallon hourglass beverage jar with dispenser ($48 on sale) and metal stand ($13 on sale).

Ah, no.

There was a plainer one at Costco for $25, but it was even larger. We’d almost have to build a room for the blasted thing. Or buy it a refrigerator of its very own.

In Delaware, of all places, he found the perfect one: a 1-gallon Ball Mason beverage jar with the classic glass lid and metal clamp. Quintessentially Southern, Ball Mason jars take me back to long hot summers of planting, picking, shelling, peeling and finally canning vegetables from our garden.

It made me very happy, not just because of what it meant to me, but because Herb knew immediately when he saw it what it would mean to me. I don’t think I’ve ever had a sweeter glass of tea.

Now if I can just get him to love the magnolia tree…