Hibiscus Tea
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Hibiscus Tea, also known as Karkade Tea or Jamaica Tea, is a refreshing beverage made using fresh or dried Hibiscus Flowers. Here is how to make it.
If you like these refreshing Teas, I have some more for you: Lemon Tea, Strawberry Tea, Turmeric Ginger Tea, Kashmiri Tea (Kahwa), Herbal Saffron Tea, and Apple Iced Tea.
About This Recipe
Hibiscus tea is an infusion of fresh or dried hibiscus flowers in water. It is also known as Agua De Jamaica, Karkade Tea, Jamaica Tea, or Jamaica Drink.
This drink has a gorgeous, deep pink color and a tart and refreshing taste. Drink it hot or chilled, it’s totally up to you.
I have a hibiscus bush growing in the garden, and this hibiscus flower tea is a regular in my house. There is a different joy in making anything from scratch, and this hibiscus tea gave me the same joy when it turned out perfect.
Although commonly called tea, it’s actually a tisane – a beverage made from steeping dried flowers, leaves, or other parts of a plant in boiling water
Ingredients
To make this super refreshing tea, you will just need 4 ingredients: Hibiscus Flowers, Water, Lemon Juice, and Honey.
You can either use fresh flowers to make the tea, like me, or use dried ones as well. If you have access to fresh flowers, you can dry a few for later use.
Lemon Juice adds a nice tangy flavor, while honey is used to sweeten.
Pro Tips By Neha
Hibiscus leaves stain, so keep this in mind when you are preparing this tea.
You can source dried hibiscus online. Most Mexican stores also carry these dried flowers. So check the Spanish section of the supermarket.
You can steep the hibiscus flowers in water and keep this brew in the refrigerator for upto 3 days. When ready to serve, add lemon juice and honey and serve.
How To Make Hibiscus Tea
To make this hibiscus drink, start by taking 3-4 flowers for each cup of tea. I took 8 flowers to make 2 cups of tea. Remove the calyx or the green part from which the flower is attached to the plant.
Also, remove the stamen, the part from which the yellow seeds are attached.
Wash the petals well under running water and add them to a medium-sized glass bowl.
Boil 3 cups of water in a medium-sized saucepan, then remove it from the heat once it comes to a rolling boil.
Pour the boiling water over the petals.
Cover the bowl and let the colour from the flowers steep into the water. Steep for 10-12 minutes.
Strain the tea using a tea strainer. Add lime juice to it and mix well. Add honey or sugar, if you wish, at this stage, and mix well.
Now add some ice cubes to the serving glasses, pour the tea and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hibiscus comes in approximately 40 varieties, but red hibiscus is most commonly used in tea recipes.
All hibiscus are edible, but try using Hibiscus Sabdariffa, Rosa sinensis, or Roselle to make the tea for the best results.
I used the regular red hibiscus (Rosa Sinensis) that we get in India.
To make the tea from the dried flowers, check for stems in the dried flowers and discard them. You will need ¼ cup of dried flowers per cup of tea.
There are two ways to make this tea with dried flowers.
1. You can add dried hibiscus flowers to cold water and allow them to rest for 1-2 days until the flowers have faded. Then you can strain the mix and make cold tea by adding sugar or honey.
2. You can also add dried flowers to boiling water and let them bleed all the colors.
Now strain the mix and add cold water, sugar, or honey, and your hibiscus cold tea is ready. This is an instant way of making this tea.
You can use the dried flowers to brew the tea twice.
If you have a hibiscus bush in your garden, as I do, you can dry the flowers and store them for later use to make hibiscus flower tea.
To dry the flowers, remove the stem and stamen. Keep the calyx intact.
Line the flowers on a kitchen towel and cover with a muslin cloth. Keep the towel in a shaded area for 1-2 days until the petals dry out and turn crisp.
Store the dried flowers in a glass jar. Refrigerate for up to a month.
You can also use a dehydrator or an oven at a very low temperature to dry the flowers. You can also buy the Hibiscus flower from the grocery store.
Serving Suggestions
You can either serve this tea hot or add a lot of ice to a glass, pour it over the ice, and serve chilled. Either way, it tastes delicious.
You can also choose to add honey, sugar, stevia, or any other sweetener.
I like to add some mint leaves, a few lemon slices, and a whole hibiscus flower in the serving glasses to make it look even more beautiful.
To serve it to kids, make popsicles of this tea. They will just love it.
Variations
You can make hibiscus tea with dried rose flowers, any berry you prefer, like fresh strawberry or raspberry, or with some lavender flowers.
You can also add some cinnamon, orange blossom water, lemongrass, basil, lemon zest, mint, or pomegranate juice to it.
Try adding some sparkling water once the tea is brewed.
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Hibiscus Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 hibiscus flowers
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- honey (As per taste)
Instructions
- To make this hibiscus drink, start by taking 3-4 flowers per cup of tea. I took 8 flowers to make 2 cups of tea. Remove the calyx or the green part from which the flower is attached to the plant.
- Also remove the stamen, the part from which the yellow seeds are attached.
- Wash the petals well under running water and add them to a medium-sized glass bowl.
- Boil 3 cups of water in medium-sized saucepan water and once it comes to a rolling boil, remove it from heat.
- Pour the boiling water over the petals.
- Cover the bowl and let the color from the flowers steep into the water. Steep for 10-12 minutes.
- Strain the tea using a tea strainer. Add lime juice to it and mix well. Add honey or sugar if you wish to at this stage and mix well.
- Now add some ice cubes to the serving glasses, pour the tea and serve.
this only needs a few words hot or cold, excellent.
Thanks for creating this article. Just one question though. Your recipe said you are making two cups of tea yet you use three cups of water. Are you consider a cup of tea as 1 1/2 cups of water? Just curious so I can make a smaller or larger batch appropriately.
Hi Jay, I serve this tea in glasses that are slightly larger than the cup measure so I use a little extra water. You can definitely make a smaller or larger batch.
How can you tell if a hibiscus is edible or not
That’s a tricky one Tammy. You will have to ask your local flower nursery for that.
What hibiscus species is the one used in your recipe?
There is just so many and I was curious.
As mentioned in the post, I used the Indian Red Hibiscus. Not all varieties are edible.