You may know roselle hibiscus by a few names: jamaica in Spanish, karkade in Arabic, sorrel in Jamaica, and roselle among gardeners. They are all describing a specific variety of hibiscus plant that produces deep red, edible calyxes, which have a sweet tart flavor, similar to tart cherries or cranberries.
This recipe is my take on Jamaican sorrel rum using roselle hibiscus I grow in my garden. I have experimented making this infused rum using both fresh and dried roselle. Dried roselle is definitely the winner. Fresh roselle lacks the depth that I get from dried roselle. I ramp up the hibiscus flavor even more in this recipe by infusing the roselle in two ways: in the rum itself and in a simple syrup. By infusing both ways, I end up with a full bodied hibiscus flavor.
Growing and harvesting roselle
Roselle hibiscus grows really well in the low desert of Arizona. I plant the seeds in March and watch the plants grow all summer. They can survive and provide shade to other plants throughout the intense Arizona summer sun and heat. Once the days start to grow shorter in October, the roselle finally produce flowers. The flowers bloom for a day, then fade. Seven to ten days later, the deep red calyxes at the base of the flower form and are ready to harvest. Harvest lasts October through December, or until the first frost when the plant dies off.
I’ve found it’s easiest to harvest the roselle and let it sit in the fridge overnight before peeling the red calyxes from the seed pods. I dehydrate the calyxes at 135ºF for at least 6 hours, until they are dry and snap easily when you try to bend them. I leave them in the turned off dehydrator overnight to ensure that any and all moisture has dissipated before I package them for storage.
Ingredients
1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
2 loosely packed quarts of dried roselle hibiscus
1 Tbsp mulling spices
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
1 quart white rum
Rum Infusion: In a 1-quart jar, add half of the ginger slices and fill loosely with roselle. Fill to the top with white rum. Infuse for 24-36 hours.
Hibiscus Syrup: In a pot on the stove, add remaining ginger, roselle, mulling spices, sugar, and water. Bring to a simmer on medium. Turn off heat. And. Let steep. 1-3 hours. Strain.
Once both parts are ready, combine the rum infusion and the hibiscus syrup in equal parts. Bottle and let mingle for at least 3 weeks.
Notes
- You can used the strained solids from the hibiscus syrup as candied hibiscus. Remove the mulling spices (nobody wants a surprise bite of whole clove!), throw the candied hibiscus in a jar, and refrigerate. These candied hibiscus are delicious as an ice cream topping.
- You may have leftover hibiscus syrup. This is delicious as a flavor syrup for Italian sodas, mocktails, and cocktails.