Brew Cranberry Hibiscus Tea
How to Brew Your Own Cranberry Hibiscus Tea
Cranberry hibiscus is a beautiful and fun shrub to grow in the garden. I love how the burgundy/purple leaves add a “Fall” feeling to my landscape. This hibiscus is relatively easy to grow and the entire plant is edible. There are various edible uses for the Cranberry hibiscus, but I find the tea is our family’s favorite. In this post, I will walk you through step-by-step how to whip up a delicious tea from the Cranberry hibiscus leaves.
Cranberry hibiscus tea is easy to make, delicious, and has various health benefits. The blooms of the Cranberry hibiscus are high in vitamin B, which are known to provide more energy throughout the day. Drinking tea throughout the day has also been shown to lower blood pressure. The tea is also supposed to improve bladder and bowel functions with its diuretic properties to improve digestion.
Blooms of the Cranberry hibiscus only last a day. When you spot a bloom, gently pinch the bloom off with your hands or cut with a pair of clean shears. As with anything you consume from the garden, rinse the Cranberry hibiscus bloom(s) in cold water then place in a mug or thermos until you complete the next step.
Fill a tea kettle or a one to two quart pan with water. Place the kettle or pan on the stove to heat to a boil. Once the water is boiling, remove the kettle or pan from the stove and safely pour the boiling water into your mug or thermos. Let the boiling water and Cranberry hibiscus bloom(s) steep for two to five minutes and then the tea is ready to be enjoyed!
There are natural ingredients that can be added to the Cranberry hibiscus tea to sweeten the taste. A few options that our family adds are lemon, honey, or cinnamon. My daughter’s favorite is adding honey and cinnamon! A few more earthy notes that pair well are rosemary, thyme, lavender, or mint. On those warmer days, we like to add a few ice cubes to make Cranberry Hibiscus Tea.
How to Prepare
Pick or cut the blooms
Rinse the blooms
Place blooms in a mug or thermos
Fill a kettle or pot with water
Place the kettle or pot on stove
Turn stove to high or medium to boil water
Carefully pour boiling water into mug or thermos with blooms
Let the blooms steep in the boiling water
Add additional flavors or ice if desired
Enjoy!
If you’re growing Cranberry hibiscus in your garden, I would love to know your favorite things about the plant or how you like to use it in the kitchen. Please share in the comments below!
