Agua de Jamaica
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Steep Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup (45g) dried hibiscus flowers
2 quarts (1.89L) of water divided
½ cup (100g) sugar or honey, and to taste
Directions:
To Make the Concentrate:
Put the water and hibiscus flowers in a pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.
Switch off the heat and let it stand for an hour.
Strain the concentrate and use to make the iced tea, or store it for later use.
To Make The Iced Tea:
Transfer the concentrate into a pitcher.
Stir in sugar, to taste.
Add remaining water and mix until the sugar has dissolved.
Chill and serve over ice.
To Make In The Instant Pot:
Add the water and hibiscus into your Instant Pot insert.
Close the Instant Pot and turn the valve to the sealing position. Set to high pressure and select pressure cook / manual pressure for 4 minutes.
When done, allow for a Natural Pressure release of 8 minutes before manually releasing the rest of the pressure.
Strain the flowers out of the drink, add sweetener to taste, and serve or store for future use.
Notes:
Squeeze your hibiscus flowers to check for freshness. If they’re still soft, they’re still good. If they’re hard, toss them and get new ones.
Keep in mind that you may dilute your tea even more with more water if it’s too tart, or with ice as it melts.
You can also add more sugar or honey if it’s too tart.
Add a slice of lemon and orange for a real thirst-quenching drink.
You can store this drink in a quart-size mason jar.
There are 4 WW Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving when made with 1/2 cup of white sugar. If you decrease the amount of white sugar used, you may decrease the points. If you eliminate this sugar completely, this recipe contains only 1 WW Blue Plan SmartPoint per serving.
Delicious Variations:
Swap sugar- Use a different sweetener, such as agave, honey or stevia.
Vary sugar- Use less sugar for a more tart taste or add sugar for a sweeter taste.
Add fruit wedges- Slice up a lemon or lime to add to in.
Add a spritzer-- pour in a bit of your favorite carbonated beverage such as ginger ale, Sprite, seltzer, spirits, sparkling waters, etc.
Add spices- like cinnamon and ginger.
Storage:
Prep Ahead – This Instant Pot Hibiscus Iced Tea is so simple to make. Make the concentrate ahead of time so you can have it ready to make the tea when you’re ready for it.
Store – Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze – You can freeze the concentrate if stored properly in the freezer. Transfer concentrate into convenient ziplock bags. Squeeze out all the extra air, seal, and label the bags. Store flat in the freezer for three months.
FAQ’s:
What Are Jamaica Flowers?
Jamaica Flowers are dried hibiscus flowers. They’re also called Jamaica or Flor de Jamaica.
How Long Can You Store Jamaica Flowers?
Similar to regular tea bags, dried Jamaica flowers or Hibiscus flowers can keep for many months, even up to a year, if they’re stored properly in an airtight container.
Where Do You Buy Dried Hibiscus Flowers?
You can get these dried flowers at Mexican markets, Mexican grocery stores, and even some local grocery stores are carrying them now. Just be sure to look at the spices and dried chiles section, folks. And if you have no luck there, you can always check out Amazon.
Nutritional Facts:
Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 3mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 3mg
Recipe courtesy of Recipe from a Pantry.com
