How To Make Hibiscus Tea: Hibiscus Tea Recipe In Simple Steps

Hibiscus is a popular flowering plant that falls under the genus in the mallow family, Malvaceae. There are hundreds of species of this plant which grow in temperate, sub-tropical, and tropical regions depending on the varieties.

This beautiful plant is referred to by various names around the world such as sorrel tea, sour tea, agua de Jamaica, bissap, karkade, Sudanese tea, and zobo. Hibiscus leaves are edible, and the calyx and flowers of this plant are widely used for making teas, jams, and syrups.

Besides its amazing beauty, it has fantastic taste making it a perfect choice for hot and cold beverages, smoothies, sweet drinks, candies, and more. If you have not tasted this flower yet, then you must give it a try once.

Some ingredients and tools should be easily available in your kitchen for making hibiscus tea. The easy access to the required tools and ingredients makes your task fast and positive result-oriented. Here are the required things to get started, have a look:

Dried Hibiscus Flowers

These are the star ingredients, so you must collect the good-quality dried hibiscus. Interestingly, you can make them dry yourself or use the one available in the market. Just make sure you do not pick the low-quality and old packaged hibiscus which affects the taste.

It will be better if you use ground hibiscus flowers. They will give more stronger flavor upgrading its tartness.

Water

Water is another star ingredient that plays a major role here. It works as a base for our beverage. It is necessary that you choose fresh and cold water. Also, you should avoid chlorinated water as chlorine may hamper both taste and texture.

Sweetener

Though some people avoid sweetness in tea, you can use a little sweetener to enhance the flavor. It reduces the tartness.

Flavorings (optional)

Drinking hibiscus tea in its original form is also a brilliant option, however you may go with additional flavors. Just add any favors you like such as ginger, lemon, mint, and more.

Types of equipment

The right kitchen tools for this recipe go like this:

• Medium-Sized Pot or Kettle: A medium-sized pot or kettle is necessary to boil water.
• Strainer: You can use any strainer available at home to strain the dried flowers.
• Pitcher or Teapot: This is necessary for serving or storing the tea.
• Spoon: A spoon is needed to stir the sweetener (if used) in the tea.
• Measuring Cups: it will be better if you use measuring cups to get the exact measure of water and dried hibiscus.
• Knife and Cutting Board: You need these tools to cut additives (ginger, lemon, fruits) in even size.
• Ice Tray: An ice tray is also necessary if you use ice cubes.

Making hibiscus tea is not that difficult task and anyone with little kitchen experience can do this with ease. However, proper guidance is necessary to prevent possible damage to taste and texture. 

Ingredients

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers (adjust based on taste)
• 4 cups of water
• Sweetener to taste (sugar, honey, or agave syrup)
• Optional: fresh mint, lemon or lime juice, cinnamon sticks, or ginger slices

Instructions

After you have collected the right measure of ingredients you should proceed as follows:

Step-1 Add Dry Hibiscus In Boiled Water

• First, you need to take a medium-sized pan or kettle and add 4 cups of water to it.
• Bring the water to a boil. Once, the water is boiled, remove it from the heat.
• Now, add dried hibiscus to the boiled water. However, you need to adjust the amount of hibiscus as per your taste preference.

(1/4 cup provides a milder flavor and 1/2 cup gives a stronger, more tangy tea)

Step-2 Steep

• In this step, you should cover the vessel and let the flower steep in it for about 10-15 minutes.
• The longer you steep the dried flower, the more tangier and dark the flavor will be.

Step-3 Strain

• After that, you should strain the tea into a pitcher and pot to remove the dried flowers.
• If you want to add more flavor to your tea, then you can add ingredients such as fresh mint, cinnamon sticks, or ginger slices.

Step-4 Sweetener

• If you prefer sweet tea, then you can add sugar, honey, or any kind of sweetener. But make sure the tea is still warm to add this.
• Stir the sweetener until it dissolves completely.

Step-5 Serve

• Finally, your hibiscus tea is ready, you can serve it immediately (hot).
• If you want chilled tea, then you should let it cool to room temperature before moving it to the refrigerator.
• After refrigerating it for some hours, you can add ice cubes to it. 

Lastly, you can add a little lemon juice over it to add more freshness. This also helps to upgrade the tartness of the tea.

Though making hibiscus tea is a very simple and comfortable task, you also need some useful tips to get the best result. With proper guidance and useful tips, the task will be efficient and quick. So, here are the necessary tips, you must follow for a great result:

• Hibiscus is naturally tart, so you can add sweetener as per your taste preference. To enhance flavor, you can experiment with pairing such as ginger, lemon, and mint.
• It is better to choose fresh and good-quality ingredients for the best results.
• Give enough steeping time so that you can get a strong flavor.
• If you have a large batch of tea prepared, then you can store the leftovers for later use. It can be used for up to a week by cold storage.
• This tea is best when it has a dark red color. It means you need to add more hibiscus if the color is faint red.
• If you feel, the tea has become too acidic, then you can add a pinch of baking soda to balance that.

Following the above tips properly definitely brings out the best result.

You must make hibiscus tea your regular habit as this tea is not just good in taste but also offers several health benefits. This tea is absolutely important from a health point of view and is widely used for many purposes.

Here is the importance of this amazing tea, have a look:

• This tea is rich in antioxidants, so they help to combat oxidative stress in the body thereby reducing the risk of chronic disease.
• This tea has been effective in balancing high blood pressure levels and cholesterol level in our body. It is good for heart health and weight loss journey.
• It has diuretic properties which reduce bloating and also make your digestive system sound.
• You can consume this tea regularly to boost your immunity too. Yes, the Vitamin C content in this tea helps you achieve that.
• Its tart and red flavor make it a perfect choice for both hot and cold beverages.

Besides the method explained above, you can also make hibiscus tea by using a sun tea method. You must be wondering what is this sun tea method. Well, this is a unique and the easiest method of making this beneficial tea.

In this method, you need to put the water and hibiscus solution in direct sunlight. Isn't that a brilliant way for this recipe? You can opt for this method if you don't have many tools and are looking for the easiest option.

Tools Required

• Glass jar
• Strainer
• Cups

Instructions

You can start this method with the instructions below:

1. First, you should place dried hibiscus flowers and some water in a large glass jar.
2. It will be better if you have a typical ratio of 1/4 to 1/2 cup of hibiscus flowers per 4 cups of water.
3. Now, you need to cover the jar with a lid and place it in direct sunlight for 2-3 hours.
4. After proper steeping, you should remove the jar from sunlight and strain the dried flower.
5. Finally, your beverage is ready, you can enjoy it in its original form or by adding other pairings.

This method gives a milder and more subtle flavor and is more suitable for a bright sunny day. It doesn't require stive and many things. However, it cannot be used all the time and also it requires a patience of 2-3 hours to get it ready.

Useful Tips

If you want to prepare your hibiscus bliss in the sun tea method, then you must be aware of the useful tips below:

• Always use a clean jar. This helps to prevent any unwanted taste and also avoids contamination.
• You should monitor the temperature and put the jar in sunlight. If it's not too hot outside, it takes longer hours.
• You should check the favor and color while it is being ready in the sunlight.
• It is necessary to stir the jar properly before you put it in the sunlight.
• You can add sugar before putting it in the sunlight. For other additives, wait until your tea is ready.

The concentration method is also a briliant way to prepare hibiscus tea at home. This method uses some steps to create a strong tea concentrate that can literally be diluted with water or any other liquid before you serve it.

Actually, this method is applicable for producing a large batch of hibiscus tea. Also, there will be no compromise in both taste and texture even though we do it in a large batch.

Here is a step by step guidelines on his you can start this process: 

Tools Required

• Large Pot or kettle
• Measuring cups
• Strainer

Instructions

1. First, you should measure the ratio, ideally 1/2 cup of hibiscus flowers for 2 cups of water.
2. After that, you should boil the water in a pot and then add the measured hibiscus to it.
3. Now, you should reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
4. Then, you should remove the pot from heat and strain the tea. After that, you need to cool the concentration to room temperature and then transfer it to the fridge. 
5. Finally, you can dilute the concentration with water, soda, or juice as per your taste preference.

( an ideal ratio is 1 part concentrate to 2 parts liquid, but adjust based on your preference)

After it is concentrated and diluted, you can serve it immediately. To enhance the flavor of your tea, you can add additives such as mint or lemon before or after the dilution is done.

Useful Tips

Here are the useful tips to make this concentration process work effectively:

• It is necessary to adjust the strength of concentration. Similarly, you should go for more dilution, if your concentration is too strong. (concentration here denotes the ratio of dried flower and water)
• You should let the concentration cool completely at room temperature before placing it in the fridge.
• If you have a large batch of tea, then you should label the date before storing them.
• You need to start with a basic dilution ratio and then increase it gradually.
• If you prefer sweetness in your tea, you can add sweetener right after contraction.
• Though this tea can remain fresh for a week in storage, it is better to serve them within a few days.

Making hibiscus tea from fresh flowers is also a brilliant way to get a perfect result. In this method, we use fresh hibiscus instead of dried ones. You will get a more refreshing and strong flavor due to the use of fresh flowers in this method.

Here is how you can get started:

Tools

• Pot
• Medium-sized pot
• Strainer

Instructions

1. First of all, you should clean the flower with cold water. Also, remove the calyx and sepals if present.
2. Now, boil water in a medium-sized pot and add the flowers.
3. After that, reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
4. Then, you should remove the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature for a minute.
5. Strain the tea and enjoy.

Isn't that a simple and quick method? You can make it more interesting, by adding lemon, ginger, or mint. If you prefer it chilled then put it in the fridge for some hours.

Iced hibiscus tea is also a popular method to enjoy this refreshing tea at home. It is perfect for the summertime and is enough to make your day blissful. In this method, the main focus is on the use of ice cubes which are added to the fullest to make the drink chilled and refreshed.

You can start this process as follows:

Required Tools

• Pot
• Glass
• Ice cubes container

Instructions

1. First, you should boil 4 cups of water in a pot and then add dried or fresh hibiscus to that pot.
2. Let the mixture steep for 10-15 minutes in a low flame. This allows a good tie for steeping.
3. After that, you need to remove the heat from the pot and then strain the tea.
4. You can add sweetener to the tea while it is still hot. You can also add other additives as per your desire.
5. Now, it is time to cool the tea to room temperature and then gently put it in the fridge for chilling for about 2 hours.
6. After that, you should fill a glass with many ice cubes and pour the chilled tea over the cubes.

Your chilled tea is ready, you can consume that quickly. Also, you can garnish it with lemon and mint.