I’ve put a bit of a Jamaican twist on the classic hibiscus tea recipe. The Jamaican secret here is to add pineapple skins to the water when boiling the tea to add a natural sweetness and enhance the flavour, at the same time.
Pineapple skins are often discarded. But when travelling through the mountains of Jamaica, I learned the trick of using all things made from the earth and wasting little. I now freeze all of my pineapple skins rather than composting them and use them as a natural sweetener or flavour enhancement to many recipes (including another Jamaican favourite of mine, ginger beer).
This recipe is a combination of two of my favourite summer drinks, Hibiscus Tea and Ginger Beer. Here is my Jamaican spin on the old classic refreshing summer-time tea that I always have on hand during the summer:
What you need
1 c dried hibiscus flowers (available at many health food stores or in bulk)
8 c filtered water
1 knuckle of fresh ginger (about 1/2 cup equivalent depending how spicy you like it), bruised or lightly pounded – leaving the skin on is perfectly fine if you scrub it first
2 handfuls left over pineapple skins, preferably organic (if not using, you can add honey for additional sweetness, if required)
What you do
- Add water, ginger and pineapple skins to a large pot on your stovetop and bring to a boil. Once boiled, turn heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes
- Add the hibiscus flowers and bring to boil again
- Remove from heat and let the tea steep for about 10 minutes
- Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a large glass pitcher, jar or bowl
- Adjust the flavour by adding more water if necessary or honey if additional sweetness is required
- Serve cold over ice with pineapple garnish or a slice of lime
Ya ‘mon, cheers!
Sharlene
