Southwest Summertime Cooler (Orange-Mint Iced Tea) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 quarts cold water, divided (8 cups)
12 tea bags or 4 family-size tea bags
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
4 cups orange juice (reconstituted frozen orange juice concentrate is fine)
2 -8 tablespoons honey (according to your preference for sweetness, 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup)
8 -10 sprigs of fresh mint, washed thoroughly
ice cubes or crushed ice

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 quart water to a boil.
Remove from heat, and while water is still bubbling, add tea bags and 1/4 cup mint.
Cover and let steep 8 minutes, then remove and discard tea bags and mint.
Put remaining quart of cold water into a large pitcher or insulated jug.
Add hot tea to cold water.
Let cool to room temperature.
Add orange juice, honey, and mint sprigs, and mix well.
Store in refrigerator & serve over ice.