On a hot summer day, nothing is more refreshing than a glass of cold delicious lemonade. Don't get us wrong, cold brew oolongs and shaken teas are our summer daily ritual, but sometimes you just need to switch things up.
We decide to add some color and jazz to the basic lemonade using our hibiscus flowers. These hibiscus flowers come in their fleshy full figure, tangy and juicy. They are naturally grown in southern Taiwan without an ounce of chemical. Harvested, seeded and dried entirely by hand, one flower at a time.
The hibiscus concentrate is made separately so feel free to adjust the level of sweetness and sourness when you make your hibiscus lemonade. To add depth to this magenta colored lemonade, we use lemon peel in addition to lemon juice which brings a vibrant citrus perfume to the beverage.
Hibiscus Lemonade Recipe
Ingredients
Serves 2
- Hibiscus concentrate 280 ml (recipe below)
- Sugar 75 grams
- Lemon peel 3 to 4 strips, white pith removed
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice 110 ml
- Water 150 ml
Preparation
- Add the hibiscus concentrate, sugar and lemon peel strips to a small pot. Stir on low heat until sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. If you are short on time, speed up the process by cooling the mixture in the fridge.
- Once the mixture is cold, add lemon juice and stir.
- Strain everything into a pitcher, add the remaining water and stir one last time.
- Serve with ice.
Popsicle option: If you have Popsicle molds, fill them with this hibiscus lemonade liquid for a frozen tangy treat!
Hibiscus Concentrate
- Hibiscus Flowers 5 grams
- Water 300 ml
- Ginger 10 grams (Optional)
- In a small pot, combine hibiscus with the water. Bring it to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool down. Strain and refrigerate. It will last ~5 days in the refrigerator.
- You can use this concentrate in various different ways other than the lemonade. We suggest sparkling water or Fever-Tree ginger beer.
Don’t toss the hydrated hibiscus flowers once you finished making the concentrate. You can eat them with a simple seasoning. Just toss them with agave or honey, a squeeze of lime juice and eat them like preserved fruit or add them to your yogurt.