Making Agua de Jamaica with Roselle

Recently I was shopping at an Asian supermarket, and I found a bag of “flor de Jamaica,” which is dried hibiscus flowers. These are not really flowers but the calyces or modified leaf bracts of a tropical hibiscus plant called roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa). The bag was only a few dollars so I purchased it to make a pitcher of agua de Jamaica, also known as agua fresca or Jamaican water. This refreshing Caribbean drink is sweet yet tart and can be used as a base for other types of drinks.

Roselle is commonly grown in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean islands. It is also called sorrel, Jamaica sorrel, Queensland jelly plant, and Florida cranberry. Roselle blooms yellow okra-shaped flowers that only last a day and afterwards, the calyx, the red part under the blossom, becomes enlarged and envelops the fruit or seeds inside.

Usually, garden centers in my area do not sell this plant but seeds can be obtained from online seed companies. Because of roselle’s long growing season, seeds should be sown indoors under lights in April, just like growing tomatoes. Seedlings are moved outside in May after the last frost. They need full sun and water if it has not rained. By the end of the summer, the plants are about 4 to 5 feet high and a few feet wide.

Autumn’s short days and long nights initiate flowering; however, our first frost can occur in late October. There are only about 2 months of flowering and calyx production. That is why it is best to start seeds indoors and to purchase early maturing strains such as Southern Exposure Seed Exchanges’ Thai Red.

The calyces should be picked when ripe which encourages the plants to keep flowering (like growing beans). The more you harvest, the more you get, so you check the plants often in September and October.

After cutting the calyx off the branch, separate the red fleshy part, which will probably separate into five parts, from the inner green seed part. Throw away (or compost) the inner green seed part. The calyces can be used fresh or dried.

The calyces are used in tea or beverages, dried or fresh. They are used for jams and jellies (very high in pectin), syrup, sorbets, tarts, baked goods, and chutneys. In fact, if you think of how cranberries are used in the kitchen, roselle calyces are used much the same way.

Roselle is high in vitamin C, calcium, and anthocyanins. Roselle tea is a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that may help reduce high blood pressure. The leaves and flowers also are edible, but I have not tried them yet.

To make the agua de Jamaica, you can use fresh or dried calyces. I took a cup from the bag of “flor de Jamaica,” and washed them in cool water first to get rid of dust and debris. I then put them in 4 cups of boiling water in a saucepan, reduced the heat, and let them simmer for 15 minutes. I removed the saucepan from the heat and let them steep for 20 minutes. Then I strained them out and put one cup sugar in the warm liquid so the sugar would dissolve quickly. I poured this mixture in a pitcher and added 4 cups of cold water. This is done to taste of course, you can make it sweeter if you want. The hibiscus expands with the boiling water plus it stains so be careful. The liquid is a beautiful red color.  My first thought when I saw the red liquid was that it could be used as a natural dye for Easter eggs!After the liquid cools, pour on ice cubes in a glass for a nice refreshing drink. Keep the pitcher in the fridge or freeze some of it. I poured some liquid in a silicon mold of small heart shapes. I then added the red, heart-shaped ice cubes to a glass of Sprite which adds a dash of red and roselle flavor to the Sprite. But the red ice cubes would have also worked well a mocktail or punch or even an ice tea.  When you make agua de Jamaica, you begin to see all types of possibilities like adding mint or spices or combining with lemonade or adding to tea.

Try growing the roselle plant this year or purchasing a bag of dried hibiscus flowers to make agua de Jamaica and explore the many possibilities of this tropical hibiscus plant.