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.

Hibiscus syrup poured into three glasses of ice, topped with lime, bay leaf and preserved hibiscus flowers

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.

>> Check it out here

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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5 from 2 votes

32 servings (1 pint)

Hibiscus Syrup Recipe

Hibiscus flowers give this syrup a rich, deep red color and a bright tart flavor while coriander and bay lend a light herbal perfume. Swirl the syrup into ice-cold sparkling water for a refreshing summer drink, or slip a bit into gin for an easy summer cocktail.

Prep Time10

Resting Time1

Total Time1 10

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Ingredients

1 medium lemon
2 ½ cups water
1 cups dried hibiscus flowers
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoons coriander seed
2 cups unrefined cane sugar

Instructions

Prepare the lemon.

Finely grate the lemon's peel into a small bowl, avoiding the bitter white pith. Then, slice the lemon in half crosswise, and squeeze its juice into a separate bowl. Leave them on the counter while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Prepare the hibiscus infusion.

Pour the water into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat, and immediately stir in the hibiscus, bay leaves, grated lemon peel, and coriander seed. Let the herbs steep in the hot water until. it cools to room temperature.

Prepare the syrup.

Strain the infusion through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, discarding the spent herbs. Place the saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat, and then stir in the sugar. Continue stirring until the sugar dissolves fully, and then turn off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice.

Bottling and storing the syrup.

Pour the syrup into a clean jar or flip-top bottle. Allow it to cool completely, and then transfer it to the fridge where it will keep about 6 months.

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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 of 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.

What is hibiscus syrup?