Jamaica Recipe

Rinse and combine

Briefly rinse the dried hibiscus petals under cool running water in a sieve to remove dust. In a medium saucepan, combine 6 cups water, rinsed hibiscus petals, sliced ginger (if using), and whole cloves (if using).

Simmer

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 10–12 minutes to extract color and flavor.

Steep

Remove the saucepan from heat and let the hibiscus steep, covered, for an additional 15 minutes for a fuller flavor. Taste after steeping to check strength — steep longer up to 30 minutes if you prefer a stronger brew.

Strain

Strain the hibiscus infusion through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a heatproof pitcher or bowl, pressing gently on the solids to extract liquid. Discard solids.

Sweeten while warm

While the tea is still warm (not boiling), stir in the granulated sugar until fully dissolved. Adjust sugar to taste — reduce to 1/2 cup for lightly sweet or increase up to 1 1/4 cups for very sweet.

Cool and add lime

Allow the sweetened hibiscus tea to cool to room temperature, then stir in the fresh lime juice. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

Serve

Fill glasses with ice (about 1 cup ice per 8-12 oz glass). Pour chilled Jamaica over the ice. Garnish with mint leaves and an optional thin slice of lime. Serve cold.

Make-ahead and variations

The Jamaica can be made up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. For a sparkling version, mix 1 part chilled hibiscus concentrate with 1–2 parts chilled sparkling water to taste. For less sugar, use honey or agave and dissolve while warm; for added spice, leave thinly sliced ginger in the pitcher.