If you want to give a new flavor to the classic tea, try using hibiscus! The dried flowers of this plant produce an infusion with a characteristic red color and a tart flavor reminiscent of lemon. Additionally, there is evidence that hibiscus helps fight high blood pressure. Dried hibiscus can be purchased at a herbalist's shop or on the internet, but if you have the plant in your garden, you can pick the flowers and prepare them yourself.
Ingrediants
Hot Hibiscus Tea
x 1 liter of drink
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of dried hibiscus flowers
- Boiling water
- Honey, sugar or your favorite sweetener (to taste)
- Tea bag (optional)
- Cinnamon stick (optional)
- Mint leaves (optional)
- Slice of lime (optional)
Cold Karkadè in Jamaican Style
x 1 liter of drink
- 15 grams of dried hibiscus flowers
- 1 liter of cold water
- Ice
- Syrup for sweetening (to taste) - for this you will need 250 ml of water and 200 grams of sugar
- The optional ingredients of the recipe for hot tea
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Make Hot Hibiscus Tea
Step 1. Boil a pot of water
While you wait, you can prepare the other ingredients and clean the teapot you will use.
Read our guidelines on how to boil water with tips for using both the stove and microwave
Step 2. Place the dried hibiscus flowers in an empty teapot
The recipe indicates 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of flowers as a dosage, but you can use more or less for a stronger or more delicate taste.
Hibiscus does not contain caffeine, so adding more will not give you a "boost" of energy
Step 3. Pour the boiling water into the teapot
Fill the teapot to the brim (or just enough to make the amount of tea you want to drink).
Use pot holders or a tea cozy to avoid burning yourself. Pour the water slowly and check that it does not overflow
Step 4. If you want a drink containing theine, add a tea bag to the water
As described above, hibiscus does not contain any exciters. If you want the brew to give you some energy (or just like the taste), add a bag of your favorite tea. However, hibiscus tea is also very good on its own.
For an extra dose of theine, add more sachets
Step 5. Leave to infuse for 5 minutes
This is the easiest part, all you have to do is wait. 5 minutes should be enough to allow the flowers to give the water its sour taste and red color. For a stronger taste, leave more time to infuse. For a more delicate taste, reduce the time.
Step 6. Strain the tea as you pour it
Now you just have to remove the flowers. If the teapot does not have a built-in filter, pour the tea into the cup through a colander.
If you want, you can also leave the flowers in the tea. They won't hurt you, there's no evidence they can be poisonous in any way
Step 7. Sweeten the tea to taste
Now, the infusion is ready to be consumed. If you want, you can add some of your favorite sweetener. The delicate and sweet taste of honey goes perfectly with the sourness of the hibiscus. Sugar and sweeteners are also good choices.
Step 8. Add cinnamon, mint or lime wedges for garnish
If you want to give tea "something extra", try one of these ingredients (or all three). The flavor and aroma of these elements enrich hibiscus tea by creating three different excellent combinations.
If you're using mint, place the leaves face up on the palm of your hand and tap your other hand on top. This is a technique used by bartenders to make cocktails like mojito to release the mint flavor and aroma
Method 2 of 3: Make Hibiscus Iced Tea
Step 1. Put the hibiscus and water in a pitcher
Once you have the right ingredients, making fresh hibiscus tea is easy, it just takes a little time. Start by placing the flowers in a pitcher and pour in the water. Stir it lightly.
If you also use tea with theine, cinnamon, lime or mint, add them now
Step 2. Leave in the fridge overnight
Cold water takes longer to absorb flavors from other ingredients, so you'll need to let the tea steep for at least 8-12 hours. Let it cool in the fridge while it aromatizes and colors thanks to the hibiscus.
Cover with aluminum foil to protect the brew
Step 3. Filter and serve with ice
When the tea has reached the right color and is well flavored, take it out of the fridge. Fill glasses with ice and pour the infusion through a colander to remove the flowers and other ingredients you have added. Your tea is ready!
For presentation, you can garnish each glass with cinnamon, lime, etc. if you like
Step 4. To sweeten, add a simple syrup
You can sweeten iced tea with sugar or honey, but these don't work very well because they don't dissolve quickly in cold water. A better idea is to use a simple syrup, which will immediately sweeten the brew because it is liquid. Read our guide for information on how to make this sweetener.
- To make the syrup, heat equal amounts of sugar and water in a saucepan. Mix it well. When the sugar has dissolved completely, you will have the syrup. If you heat it again, this phase will pass and it will become very dense. It could turn into caramel, which is to be avoided.
- 250 ml of syrup (prepared with 250 ml of water and 200 grams of sugar) will sweeten the tea to the right point. If you use less, you will have a less sweet taste.
Method 3 of 3: Prepare the Hibiscus Flowers
Step 1. Find of ripe hibiscus flowers
A few days after flowering, the petals begin to shrivel and wither. Eventually they will fall. Wrinkles are signs that the flower is ripe and ready to be harvested.
Hibiscus plants bloom all year round. They are more likely to do this in the spring and summer when the weather is better, but they can also flower in the winter if conditions are favorable
Step 2. Collect the goblets
At the base of the flower, there is a rounded part that looks like a bulb and that connects it to the stem. This is the chalice. If the plant is mature, the calyx should be firm and red. Remove the entire flower (calyx and petals) from the stem - it should snap easily. Remove the petals and hold the cup.
Step 3. Remove the seed pods
Inside each chalice is a spherical seed pod. Throw it out before making the tea to keep the glass as whole as possible. The easiest way is to make a vertical cut on one side of the glass and remove the pod with your fingers. Don't worry if you touch the glass too much during this operation. The taste will not be affected, at the most the presentation will be.
Step 4. Use the goblets in the tea
Wash the calyxes once the seed pods are removed. Now they are ready to be used in the infusion. Use them in both of the recipes described above as if they were dried flowers.
Step 5. Alternatively, dry the flowers and store them in an airtight container
If you don't want to use hibiscus to make tea right away, blot the flowers with a paper towel and allow them to dry completely before placing them in a container. There are several ways to do this:
- Seal the flowers in an airtight container with silica gel. This is the same chemical element that is sometimes found in clothes pockets. You can find it at electronics stores or those that sell DIY stuff.
- Place the hibiscus on a wire rack or pan in the oven at a low temperature (about 40 ° C) for several hours. Read our article on drying flowers for more details.
- If the weather is hot and dry, you can also leave them on a grill in the sun. Put them in a place where animals cannot reach them.
Advice
- If you keep the petals, you can use them to decorate tea, perfect for a party or a get-together with friends.
- Don't limit yourself to the ingredients mentioned in this article. Feel free to get creative with the extra ingredients. A pinch of ginger, for example, is perfect for this tea.
