In Mexico, dried hibiscus is most commonly use in a cold, refreshing beverage called “Agua de Jamaica”. You could also drink it hot with some honey and a squeeze of lemon. Hibiscus flower is tart, somewhat bitter but it has a delicate floral flavor.
This recipe is a starting point to your hibiscus popsicles. I added pineapple because I thought these flavors complemented each other. You could add any other fruit you like. I think mango would also go really well with hibiscus and maybe even tamarind or “chamoy” …why not?
These are perfect for introducing your kids to a “new” flavor if they haven’t tried Hibiscus.
How to make hibiscus concentrate?
It is very easy to make. You just boil the dry hibiscus flower with water to make a concentrate. This concentrate is quite strong in flavor. You can use this concentrate to make “agua de jamaica”, or any other combination of drinks. You can get creative with it!. There is not right way to use this concentrate. Experiment with flavors and let me know what you came up with!. This recipe yields 3 1/2 cups of the concentrate, considering you simmer it for about 15 minutes. Your yield may vary, depending of the heat and time you do. Once your hibiscus has been cooked and simmered down, strain the concentrate over a clean container.
Recipe
Yield 3 1/2 cups of concentrate
Concentrate makes about 2 liters (~9 cups) of hibiscus water, ready to pour into your popsicle molds or to make “agua de jamaica”. The recipe below just uses 2 cups of the concentrate. This way you have concentrate ready for other uses.
Ingredients
2 cups of dried hibiscus boiled with 5 cups of water.
water
1 cup of sugar or more to taste.
Pineapple chunks
1 lime or Lemon.
Procedure
- Prep: Make the concentrate. In a medium saucepan, place two cups of dried hibiscus flower with 5 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes with the lid on. Turn off the heat, let it cool and strain the concentrate into a clean container with lid. Discard the hibiscus flowers.
- In a pitcher, pour two cups of the concentrate and add 4-5 cups of water.
- Add the sugar and lime juice. Taste and adjust to your personal preference for sweetness and tartness.
- Pour the liquid into popsicle molds and freeze for 5 to 8 hr.
