Category: Tea

Three-hundred Forty

hibiscus blooms: three gallons

of Jamaica Tea!

cup sugar and cup key lime –

double each – freeze granite!*

*(In one quart or half-gallon depending on non-reactive glass or enameled baking dish, one more cup of sugar (or stevia or other sugar-substitute) and one more cup of Key Lime juice, fresh best but Nellie’s Key Lime – bottled – fine, and fork-stir every fifteen minutes or so in freezer makes a very fine and loose-textured granite treat. The dehydrated hibiscus blooms are rehydrated in just-boiling water of 12-quart or better size heavy non-reactive pot: when pushed in and under the water and brought back to a hard simmer, turn off the heat and let sit 20-30 minutes.  Add sugar and lime juice while hot and stir – with the wooden end of the spider which other side will be used to fish out the now-limp blooms.  Reserve a few for a special tangerine-hibiscus juice-and frozen strawberry salad (or fish!) dressing! The remaining blooms go into a colander over a glass bowl for draining.  Compost the resultant drained flowers or bring back to heat for a diminished run of Jamaica tea, called agua fresca by Mexicans.  I cut the original run by one-third water – after sampling some of the tea hot, but it can be cut by up to 24 more quarts for agua fresca or by just 12 for a tasty but more fruity and substantial drink.  I take mine mostly cut by just enough to make three gallons. Enjoy