Sorrel Rezept

What would Christmas in Jamaica be without sorrel?

But what is sorrel actually? Sorrel is a drink made from dried hibiscus flowers, which is traditionally drunk with rum at Christmas time in Jamaica.

The dried flowers of the Hibiscus sabdariffa (Roselle) are boiled with ginger and water to make a drink. Other ingredients are added, such as allspice, cloves, cinnamon or fruit, which can vary according to taste. I like to compare sorrel with mulled wine, but sorrel does not contain wine and is not served warm - sorrel is drunk on ice. The comparison with mulled wine comes from the fact that many spices are added at Christmas time that are also found in mulled wine.

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

My sorrel drink recipe is very versatile. I make a large pot full of it and add neither alcohol nor sugar. My children love drinking 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 tastes great in sparkling wine. I have also created a few cocktails with sorrel.

Recipe approx. 2 l Sorrel Drink

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

Preparation: Wash the pineapple, remove the peel and stalk (don't throw the stalk away) and set aside. Rinse the hibiscus flowers. Wash 2 organic oranges, grate the peel and fillet the flesh. Add the orange fillets to the pineapple and puree with a hand blender or in a food processor. Add the ginger juice and puree the fresh ginger as well.

Put hibiscus flowers in a large pot. Add water, ginger fruit puree, orange peel, pineapple peel with stalk and spices, bring to the boil. Cook on a low heat for at least 2 hours. Alternatively, leave to steep overnight.

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