agua de jamaica con limón y naranja

Today I made agua de jamaica which is basically a tea made from dried hibiscus flowers and served chilled.  I had some leftover limes and an orange so I decided to incorporate as much of that flavor as well.  I ultimately used 6 limes, 1 orange and 2 cups of jamaica for this recipe.

I started  by placing the jamaica in a saucepan with the zest of 1 orange and 2 limes with about a cup of sugar.  To this mixture I poured about 4 cups of boiling water and let steep for about 10 minutes.

Though not necessary, I later transferred the mixture to a large mason jar to show the color of the mixture after steeping, it becomes a very deep vibrant red color.

In a pitcher I squeezed the lime and orange juice over about 2 cups of ice.  I strained the jamaica mixture and poured over. At this point the ice will melt a bit but there should be enough to cool it down.  I added a few ice cubes to a glass and poured myself a drink.

The flavor of the drink is tart and herbal in a way, very reminiscent of a tea drink with a tart berry flavor.  Though I have never made this at home I definitely can see this as a fixture during cookouts this summer.

Agua de Jamaica con Limón y Naranja

2 cups jamaica (dried hibiscus flowers)
Zest and juice of 1 orange
Zest of 2 limes, Juice of 6 limes
2 Cups Sugar

1. Start by placing jamaica, sugar, orange and lime zest in a sauce pan.
2. To this, add 4 cups of boiling water and let steep for 10-15 min.
3. Add about 2 cups of ice to a pitcher along with orange and lime juice
4. Strain Jamaica mixture into pitcher, serve in a tall glass over ice.