Hibiscus sabdiffera aka Jamaican Roselle or Sorrell
This year I grew my own and made tea (from dried calyces) and jelly and jam (from the fresh ones). A calyx (plural calyces!) is simply the luscious, edible coverings of the seed pods.
I also made a scrumptious cordial and a heavenly liqueur.
The Liqueur couldn't be easier—or more delicious.
Clean the pods by dunking them in water (to make sure they are ant-free!). Drain them well and shake them gently. I leave mine on the counter for a few hours to dry out as much as possible.
Trim the calyces from the pods themselves (see pics!).
For the liqueur I left the calyces whole.
Fill a 1 litre Mason/Ball jar with the trimmed calyces and top up with vodka.
I used American Harvest Organic Vodka from Dorn's in Gainesville
Yes it's made from wheat so you'll need to choose another vodka if you are gluten sensitive.
Let it steep for a few days stirring gently from time to time with a wooden spoon.
Then start adding sugar ... a little at a time.
I added about 1/4 cup every few days.
Stir and/or shake gently until it dissolves. This usually takes a few days.
This is the hard part: Keep tasting it until it's perfect. Not too sweet, not too 'brut'.
I think I added about 3/4 cup total.
Leave it a couple of weeks to macerate...to fully develop all it's lovely flavors.
We have made a Heavenly Hibscus Margarita ... also served it on the rocks with dessert. Yum!!!
