Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Concentrate — Extraction Method)

Ingredients

• 150 g dried jamaica flowers, Hibiscus sabdariffa — cleaned of debris
• 1 L filtered water
• 100 g piloncillo or Mexican brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick, 8 cm
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 g anise seeds
• Pinch sea salt

Method

1. 1
   Bring filtered water to rolling boil in a heavy pot; add cinnamon stick, cloves, and anise seeds; simmer 5 minutes to bloom spices and infuse water.
2. 2
   Add dried jamaica flowers to simmering spiced water; immediately remove from heat and cover with lid; steep for 15 minutes (do not boil flowers as this creates bitter, dull colour — true crimson extraction requires steeping, not boiling).
3. 3
   Strain through fine sieve or cheesecloth, pressing gently on flowers to extract maximum liquid and colour; discard solids.
4. 4
   Return strained liquid to pot; add piloncillo or brown sugar; heat gently over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar fully dissolves (approximately 3 minutes); do not allow to boil.
5. 5
   Taste and adjust sweetness if desired; concentrate will be deep crimson with balanced sweet-tart profile.
6. 6
   Cool completely; transfer to sterilised glass bottles; refrigerate up to 2 weeks.
7. 7
   To serve: dilute concentrate at ratio of 1 part concentrate to 3 parts cold water (or to taste); stir well; serve over ice with lime wedges; concentrate can also be mixed with sparkling water for agua de jamaica con gas.