Hibiscus Simple

[totient]

Boil half an ounce of dried hibiscus flowers in 5 oz of water, covered, for 45 minutes. This will seem like way too long but it's not.

Strain, yielding about 4 oz of infused water.

Mix with 1/2 cup sugar and chill.

Resulting syrup is amazing in yogurt or margaritas or in savory recipes that call for plum sauce. Or probably other uses I haven't thought of yet.

Comments

[nacht_musik]

This sounds delicious! How do you keep 5oz of water from boiling off? Do you just put it on a super low covered simmer?

[totient]

At more than a simmer, but less than a rolling boil, almost all of the steam condenses on the lid and drips back into the pan. I use a small pan with a non-vented lid as I would for rice, and don't lose much water.

[foms]

I have made rose fudge from rose petals and rosewater and water and sugar and I've made (not very effective) lilac syrup. I was thinking about having another go at lilac syrup, this year. I may be too late. The hibiscus sounds interesting.

[totient]

This formula is not strong enough for ice cream. But 2.5oz of hibiscus flowers in 8oz of water, plus a cup of sugar, makes a jelly that's delicious in a quart of dairy for ice cream along with the juice of one lemon. For this, half and half is a little too rich, so I add in maybe a cup of milk.