Hibiscus syrup is a sweet, tart herbal remedy with a brilliant red color and vibrant flavor. Hibiscus has a cooling energy, which makes it a particularly refreshing herb to use in the summertime. When you stir a few spoonfuls of the syrup into sparkling water, it makes a nice drink similar to raspberry shrub, which also has a sweet-sour intensity.
In this version, I add lemon, which helps preserve the syrup naturally, as well as coriander and bay leaf, which give the syrup subtle, herbal undertones.
Jump to Recipe | What is it? | How to Use It | Tips | Variations
What is hibiscus syrup?
Hibiscus syrup is a sugar-sweetened herbal syrup made from hibiscus flowers. The flower comes from the hibiscus sabdariffa variety, which is also called roselle or Jamaican sorrel, and it is grown primarily for its medicinal and culinary value.
To make hibiscus syrup, you first prepare a strong herbal infusion and then blend that infusion with an equal part of sugar to make a syrup. Hibiscus's high vitamin C content gives the syrup a distinct tartness, while the flower's rich array of polyphenols lends a deep, rich red color.
How to use it
You can use hibiscus syrup to sweeten drinks or add it to cocktails. And you can also add it to marinades and vinaigrettes, where it lends both acidity and a touch of sweetness. Because its sugar is highly concentrated, a small amount can add a lot of flavor.
- Use it to flavor fermented drinks like water kefir, jun tea, or kombucha. You can swirl it in for the second ferment. Hibiscus kombucha is one of our favorites.
- Serve it with sparkling water poured over ice, or even add it to champagne or hard cider for a burst of flavor.
- Drizzle it over ice cream or sorbet.
- Blend it with vinegar and olive oil to make a vinaigrette.
Where to find organic herbs and spices
You can find many fresh herbs at your local grocery store; however, medicinal herbs can be harder to find locally. We recommend Mountain Rose Herbs because they stock many organic and ethically wildcrafted culinary and medicinal herbs.
Tips for making this recipe
Making an herbal syrup is a three-part process. The first step is to make an herbal infusion. Next, you'll strain the infusion. Lastly, you'll add enough sugar to the infusion to create a syrup. The sugar both gives the syrup its flavor, and also acts as a preservative.
- Choose dark red, organic dried hibiscus flowers. They tend to have the deepest flavor.
- The longer you allow the herbs to steep, the more robust the syrup's flavor will be. A general rule is to steep them until the infusion cools to room temperature or at least 20 minutes.
- Use fresh bay leaf, if you can find it. But dry bay leaf works well, too.
- Use sugar (or another caloric sweetener), as it's important for preserving the syrup.
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Variations
Use honey instead. While unrefined cane sugar is a relatively mineral-rich sweetener and excellent for preserving this syrup, you can also use honey, too. Decrease the water to 1 ¾ cups and add 1 ½ cups honey. An herbal honey syrup typically lasts only about 3 months, so you'll need to use it more quickly than a sugar-based syrup.
If you prefer to completely avoid sugar, simply make this as an infusion and drink it within three days as you would a tea.
Make a straight hibiscus syrup by skipping the bay, lemon, and coriander. Keep in mind that, without the lemon, it may not last quite as long.
Blend hibiscus with other herbs like rose, hawthorn, cardamom, black pepper, or lemongrass.
Jessica says
This is excellent! I did alter slightly by adding 1/4c dried rose petals to 3/4c dried hibiscus flowers and rose water (2tsp. at the end after stirring in the lemon juice). I kept to the recipe otherwise and it is glorious! I can find rose overpowering so thought this would be a nice addition to hibiscus and it works beautifully. Just a slight nose of rose and very gentle after taste comes through. Thank you for this beautiful recipe!
Kirsten says
I'll be giving this one a try, thanks! Looks great. Though I choose to no longer support MRH because of their policy changes, hibiscus flowers are also widely available at local ethnic markets. I used to buy them at the one in Houston on Airline Drive. Enough to fill a half gallon jar was $1.50 and the quality was far superior to anything I could buy online. I also add rosehips when I make iced hibiscus tea for an added boost. Thanks again!
Jenny McGruther says
Hi Rachel!
Please use the calyces.
Rachel Spiering says
Hi! I have a hibiscus plant in my garden and will use it to make this recipe- do I use the blooming flowers or the calyces?
Jenny McGruther says
Hi Chantal,
I'd make sure you are using hibiscus sabdariffa flowers, and then the general ratio for herbs is to use three times the amount of fresh as you would dried.
Chantal E Boyer says
Hi Jenny,
I was able to get my hands on some fresh hibiscus flowers and was wondering if I could make this recipe with fresh instead of dried; what the ratio would be if I used fresh, and would you make any other changes to the instructions? Thanks so much!