Hibiscus Iced Tea
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Made from dried hibiscus flowers, this hibiscus iced tea is as beautiful as it is refreshing, with a bright, tart flavor that’s perfect for warm weather.
With its vibrant ruby-red color and tart, cranberry-like flavor, hibiscus iced—also known as agua de jamaica—tea is one of my favorite warm-weather drinks. It’s naturally caffeine-free, easy to make, and incredibly refreshing on a hot day. All you need are dried hibiscus flowers and water. Look for dried hibiscus flowers (sometimes labeled flor de jamaica) at Latin American, Caribbean, or Middle Eastern markets, natural foods stores, or online. Enjoy the tea over ice as is, sweeten it to taste, or top it off with sparkling water and a squeeze of lime for an extra-refreshing drink.
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Hibiscus Iced Tea
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dried hibiscus flowers
- 8 cups water
- Simple syrup, granulated sugar, honey, or agave, to taste (optional)
Instructions
Cold Brew Method
- Combine the hibiscus flowers and water in a large pitcher or jar. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 18 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing lightly on the flowers to extract as much liquid as possible. Sweeten to taste, if desired. (If the tea is cold, simple syrup works best because it dissolves easily.) Serve over ice. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Hot-Steep Method
- Place the hibiscus flowers in a large heatproof pitcher or bowl. Bring 4 cups of the water to a boil and pour it over the hibiscus. Let steep for about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing lightly on the flowers to extract as much liquid as possible. If desired, stir in granulated sugar, honey, or agave while the tea is still hot. (Alternatively, let the tea cool and sweeten to taste with simple syrup.) Stir in the remaining 4 cups of cold water. Refrigerate until well chilled. Serve over ice. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Hibiscus Spice: Add a cinnamon stick and/or 8 thin slices of fresh ginger before steeping.
- Hibiscus Mint: Add a handful of fresh mint after straining and let infuse for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the mint before serving.
- Hibiscus Citrus: Add strips of orange or lemon zest while the tea steeps (strain with hibiscus flowers). Serve with orange or lemon wheels or wedges.
- Sparkling Hibiscus Tea: Fill a glass halfway with hibiscus tea and top with sparkling water. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime.
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I love hibiscus tea! I make a version of this that I picked up in Bali. Is uses fresh flowers with the stamens removed and steeped in boiling water. It is a ghastly blackish colour after steeping and straining. You then add fresh lime juice and it transforms into the most vibrant colour. It’s great to make with kids and is a great and easy science lesson!
I love that you are doing this. I’ve been making and drinking hibiscus tea for many years. It is delicious and high in vitamin C. I used to even make hibiscus kombucha at home! The original Mexican recipe I followed called for simmering for two full hours and then adding a very healthy amount of cane sugar. Now I put it on the stovetop in a large stock pot and bring it almost to a boil but then turn it off and let it steep as it cools down to a temp I can bottle and refrigerate. In recent years I always brew mine with leaf stevia as a sweetener. As I have gotten older and working more on cardiovascular health and keeping my blood pressure in good ranges I have added a few other medicinal herbs such as Hawthorn berry, flower, and leaf, and lemon balm, all of which are delicious as well. Because the hibiscus flowers are whole they have some small grainy parts that require a very fine filter to keep out of the final product.
I have hibiscus flowers. What do I need to do to use them?
Hi Linda, are they dried hibiscus flowers?
I use fresh red flowers with the stamens removed and steeped in boiling water. It is the most awful looking colour after steeping and straining. You then add lime juice to it and it magically transforms into the most amazing bright pink in colour.
I make this the same exact way except I use one full cup of flowers. Never had this drink ever before until we got it at Lily’s Little Mexico in Chincoteague, Virginia. I had to come home and make it! Also it reduces blood pressure.