How to make Hibiscus Tea with Fresh Flowers

I woke up one morning to a beautiful hibiscus in full bloom. I have no idea how it managed to bloom on our side of the fence, but somehow it found a way. I felt as if it was blooming just for me. Sending me hope and love.

I have been feeling rather low with all the C-19 hype and I have been one of the ‘lucky’ ones that has lost all of my work. 🙁 Hibiscus is good for anxiety and depression and I feel it bloomed just at the right time.

Everywhere I walked I saw hibiscus flowers. Where I never noticed them before. So, I decided that it would be a great way to harness their beauty and goodness, by making a fresh hibiscus flower petal tea. Also known as Jamaica tea.

Did you know that the flower only blooms for one day? I learnt about this when I went to look for my hibiscus flower the next morning, only to find that it had withered away.

So, this morning we went on our morning walk around the neighbourhood with the pooches and picked a few hibiscus flowers for our tea, as well as some stems to hopefully grow our very own hibiscus trees. Stealing flowers felt really very naughty! I would suggest you asking permission first!

What is Hibiscus Tea good for?

Hibiscus tea is seen as a herbal tea and it has so many benefits. The biggest one, I would say is the high levels of Vitamin C and minerals. So it is good for your immunity and especially now during this time of staying healthy. It is known to prevent hypertension and anxiety, reduce blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, keep your liver healthy, helps with depression, aids digestion and helps with weight loss. I mean wow! A full power-house of goodness in this one! Yes please!

Side-effects of Hibiscus Tea

However, I have to mention that drinking hibiscus tea in large quantities… means there can be some side-effects. You should avoid if you are pregnant, breast feeding, have low blood pressure and are diabetic.

What does it taste like?

It has a wonderful taste and has a tart, cranberry-like flavor.

How do you serve Hibiscus Tea?

You can serve in with lemon, cinnamon stick, mint and ice. For a refreshing drink on a hot day. You can drink it as it is or add any sweetener of your choice. I quite prefer it just like it is. Plain.

Hibiscus comes in approx 40 varieties but mostly red hibiscus is used to make tea for their nutritional benefits.

Can you grow your own Hibiscus Tree?

First remove all the leaves from the stem. Look for the nodes on the stem and just underneath the one node, cut at a 45 degree angle. This allows for more water absorption as there is a larger surface area. Scrape a little of the bark off the stem. Just ever so slightly and place in water. You will see roots grow out of the stem after about a week.

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