If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know that I talk about sorrel at lot! Not only is it delicious, it’s the key ingredient to my most frequently imbibed adult beverage, Red Red Wine. If you’re new or have just never heard of sorrel, it’s a deep red, highly flavorful beverage made from dried hibiscus flowers and a mix of spices. The beverage, non alcoholic on its own, is said to have originated in Jamaica, but it’s enjoyed throughout the Caribbean during the holiday season.
I learned all about sorrel from one of my favorite author friends, who just happens to be Jamaican. One year, she shared a story on Facebook about her & her mom’s sorrel tradition. My interested was piqued. I reached out to her and not only did she send me some sorrel, but she also shared her family recipe. And while I’ve shared this recipe several times on other blog posts, I decided to make a dedicated post for ease of reference.
While sorrel is traditionally drank during the holidays, I drink it year round- that’s how much I love it. Preparing sorrel puts me in the mind of soul food, in that every family has their particular way to prepare it. When I my friend shared her recipe, she let me know that she’s does it a little different due to her personal preference. So I took this freedom and ran with it.
I tend to make sorrel different every single time I make it ☺️. I’m constantly playing with the spice blend in search of my perfect version of this ruby colored drink. So feel free to adjust & experiment to get it 100% to your liking. I, for one, love mine’s spicy & flavorful, so I usually use a LOT of ginger (way more than I include in the recipe below. This is also how anise and cardamon found their way into my recipe. So don’t be afraid to experiment with the recipe a bit.
First step, get you some hibiscus. If you’re lucky, you may can find some locally in your grocery store or international market. If now, you can order it from Amazon. This is the brand I usually purchase:
Making Sorrel
Ingredients:
- Water- 8 cups
- Hibiscus flowers- 4 cups
- Ginger- 2 inches, grated
- Cinnamon Sticks- 2-4 sticks
- Allspice- 10
- Clove- 10
- Star Anise- 2 whole pieces
- Cardamon- 8
- Citrus peel- 2 strips (I use whatever I have on hand, orange, lemon, or lime)
- Sugar- 1 cup (or more, depending on how sweet you want it
Directions:
- Add all ingredients, except sugar, to a pot.
- Bring mixture to a simmer, then turn off heat.
- Let cool to room temperature, then place in refrigerator overnight to steep
- The next day, place the mixture on low-med heat to warm up
- Once warm, strain mixture to remove all solids
- Add sugar in increments, tasting along the way to ensure the proper sugar level.
- Store sorrel in the fridge
Making Hibiscus Syrup
And since you have hibiscus on hand, you may as well make some hibiscus syrup. Trust me on this one. Hibiscus syrup is great in a variety of applications, with mimosas and whiskey sours being my favorite two of my fav ways to enjoy it.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup of dried hibiscus leaves
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Directions:
- Heat water and sugar together, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissvolved
- Add in hibiscus leaves and simmer for 15 minutes
- Remove from heat and let sit for 20 mins
And you’re done, very simple!
Now that you have fresh sorrel and hibiscus syrup on hand, I urge you to go forth and experiment! But I won’t leave you hanging on this journey, here are 4 bits of cocktail inspiration to make with the goodness you now hold in your hands:
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