Sorrel Recipe

What would Christmas in Jamaica be without sorrel?

Sorrel is a traditional Jamaican drink, especially popular during the Christmas season.

The dried flowers of Hibiscus sabdariffa (Roselle) are boiled with ginger and water to make a drink. Other ingredients are added, such as allspice, cloves, cinnamon, or fruits, which can be varied according to taste. I like to compare Sorrel to mulled wine, but Sorrel contains neither wine nor is it served warm—Sorrel is drunk on ice. The comparison to mulled wine arises because many spices are added during the Christmas season, which are also found in mulled wine.

Sorrel has many positive properties. It is said to lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, and aid in weight loss. However, I assume that this information refers to the simple sorrel drink, which is simply boiled with ginger and water, and not to the many Christmas-themed sorrel drink recipes that contain sugar and alcohol, among other things.

My sorrel drink recipe is very versatile. I brew a large pot of it without adding any alcohol or sugar. My children love to drink sorrel with a little coconut blossom sugar, and of course, without alcohol. Coconut blossom sugar gives the sorrel drink a lovely caramel note. You can also use brown sugar. For adults, I like to add rum. Sorrel also goes very well with sparkling wine. I've even created several cocktails with sorrel.

Recipe yields approximately 2 liters of Sorrel Drink

Ingredients:
100 g dried roselle (hibiscus flower tea)
3 tablespoons of ginger juice or a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
2 organic oranges with peel
1 fresh pineapple, washed, with peel
4-5 whole allspice berries, e.g. , YARDIES Allspice
4-5 cloves, whole
2 cinnamon sticks
2.5 liters of water
Ingredients to taste:
Brown sugar, coconut blossom sugar, or white sugar
Jamaica Rum

Preparation: Wash the pineapple, remove the peel and core (don't discard the core), and set aside. Rinse the hibiscus flowers. Wash two organic oranges, zest them, and segment the oranges. Add the orange segments to the pineapple and purée with an immersion blender or in a food processor. Add the ginger juice and purée the fresh ginger as well.

Place hibiscus blossoms in a large pot. Add water, ginger fruit puree, orange peel, pineapple peel with core, and spices; bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for at least 2 hours. Alternatively, let it steep overnight.

After cooking or steeping, strain the cooled sorrel drink at least twice. Serve over ice with rum and sugar.