Latin American · 15 min · Easy · 6 glasses
Agua de Jamaica
Dried hibiscus steeped briefly, sweetened while hot and chilled hard — tart, cranberry-deep and an almost unreasonable red. The most common agua fresca in Mexico.
~60 cal per serving — Calories are approximate, per serving — a guide only.
Method
- 1
Steep the hibiscus
⏱ 10 minBring the water for steeping to the boil in a pot. Add the hibiscus flowers and the cinnamon stick, take the pot straight off the heat and leave to steep for 10 minutes. Don't go longer — past that the tannins turn it drying and bitter.
- 2
Sweeten while hot
Stir in the sugar while the liquid is still hot so it dissolves completely. Taste as you go: jamaica is meant to stay sharp, and it will taste sweeter once it is cold.
- 3
Strain, dilute and chill
Strain into a jug, pressing the flowers gently against the sieve. Stir in the cold water and the lime juice. Chill, or pour straight over a tall glass of ice.
Notes
The concentrate keeps for a week in the fridge — make it at full strength and dilute by the glass. Hibiscus stains everything it touches, so use a stainless or glass sieve rather than a wooden spoon and a favorite cloth.