#2694 - Tea Leaf Punch

(by Aunt Faye [Herman] Minier)

5lbs. white sugar
10 cups water
1 cup tea leaves
1 quart boiling water
3 - 48oz. cans unsweetened orange juice (cold)
3 - 48oz. cans Dole pineapple juice (cold)
5 cans frozen lemade concentrate
3 quarts ginger ale (cold)
3 quarts sparkling water (club soda; cold)
1 - 48oz. can apricot nectar juice (cold)

In a large pot add white sugar and water--cook/stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, boil the mixture for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. In a separate pot add tea leaves and boiling water--stir. Place the pot on a hot pad and let it stand for 30 minutes. Pour the tea mixture through a sieve to remove all of the tea leaves, then discard the tea leaves. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. To the white sugar mixture add the tea mixture--stir. Add orange juice, pineapple juice, frozen lemonade, and apricot nectar juice--stir until lemonade is dissolved. When ready to serve, pour 1/3 of the punch mixture into a large punch bowl and add 1 quart of ginger ale and 1 quart of sparkling water--stir. Repeat for second and third batch of punch.