Hibiscus Rose Iced Tea (Rose Agua de Jamaica)
If you’re looking for a hydrating, refreshing drink to cool off this summer, look no further than this delicious Hibiscus Iced Tea! This recipe is my take on Agua de Jamaica, a popular Mexican agua fresca made from the petals of the hibiscus flower.
If you’ve never had hibiscus tea, this is a great first recipe to try. Hibiscus tastes a little bit like raspberry or tart grape juice, with some floral notes. It’s naturally sweet, fruity, and flavorful, with a vibrant red color!
To complement the hibiscus, I added cinnamon, rose, lime, and honey to this recipe. These ingredients help bring out the natural sweetness and fruitiness of hibiscus tea.
Aside from its delicious taste, hibiscus is full of functional and medicinal benefits, as well. It’s antioxidant-rich and immune-boosting, and it lowers blood pressure and blood sugar. It’s also great for helping with period pain.
Important note: Hibiscus tea has been known to induce menstruation. If you’re pregnant or trying to conceive, so make sure to either speak to your doctor before consuming hibiscus, or avoid it altogether.
Feel free to adjust this recipe by adding more or less water, depending on how strong you like your tea. This recipe yields 4 cups of hibiscus tea concentrate, which you can water down as much as you like. I find that adding 4 cups of cold water to the concentrate (plus LOTS of ice!) yields the perfect strength tea for my personal taste.
Store unused Hibiscus Tea Concentrate in a jar in the fridge. It will stay fresh up to five days. For best results, pour over lots of ice and enjoy in the sunshine!
Watch the Hibiscus Iced Tea Video:
Hibiscus Iced Tea
Makes 8-10 cups of tea
Ingredients:
1/4 cup honey
1 stick cinnamon
Zest from 1 lime
2 tbsp dried rose petals
1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers
4 cups boiling water
Juice from one lime
To make:
In a teapot or pitcher, combine the honey, cinnamon, lime zest, rose petals, and hibiscus. Add 4 cups of boiling water, stir well to combine, and let steep 15-20 minutes.
Strain out the hibiscus tea concentrate and let cool. Store unused tea concentrate in a jar in the fridge for up to five days.
When you’re ready to serve the Hibiscus Iced Tea, pour the concentrate into a large pitcher filled with ice. Add 4-6 cups cold water (depending on how strong you’d like the tea to be) and the juice from one lime.
Serve over ice and garnish with lime. Enjoy!!