This is my list of recipes that use roselle calices. I hope you feel inspired to try growing roselle so you can make some of the delicious recipes below. If you have any fantastic recipes, please share by commenting on this blog post.
Watch my garden guide on everything you need to know about growing and harvesting roselle for more info:
Some recipes require the use of fresh or dried roselle calices. It is very easy to dry the calices. Just peel the calices off the seed pod, wash, and air dry them on a single layer of paper towel for 1-2 weeks. You can also place them in a dehydrator.
Simple Roselle Tea
This is the easiest recipe and is best made with dried roselle. Makes 1 teacup.
Ingredients
1 TBS dried roselle
Boiling hot water
Optional additional flavors best added when steeping the tea to help pull out the flavor: sliced ginger, chopped lemon grass, lemon balm, sliced fresh lemons, sliced fresh oranges, mint, a few cinnamon sticks
Optional sweetener: I like to drink mine without any added sweeteners but if you prefer, add some of your favorite sweetener to taste.
Directions
Add the dried roselle into a tea cup. Add any optional herbs. Pour hot water over. Let steep for up to 15 minutes. The longer it steeps, the stronger the flavor. Add your preferred choice of sweetener.
Agua De Jamaica
This recipe makes enough beverage for a few tall glasses. Just depends on how big your glasses/cups are. You can choose to add ice for an iced beverage or drink warm.
Ingredients
8 cups water
2 cups fresh roselle calices, peeled and washed
3/4 cup white sugar - you can use alternative sweeteners like honey, stevia, monk fruit, agave sweetener etc.... just add these at the end once the beverage has cooled down. I find that adding artificial sweeteners to a hot beverage can alter the flavor.
Optional additional flavors best added when boiling the beverage to help pull out the flavor: sliced ginger, chopped lemon grass, lemon balm, sliced fresh lemons, sliced fresh oranges, mint, a few cinnamon sticks
Optional ice to make the iced version of this beverage
Directions
Bring the 8 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Once boiling, add 2-cups of fresh roselle calices and 3/4 cup of white sugar. Omit adding white sugar if your using an alternative sweetener. Bring the beverage to a slow rolling boil so it doesn't bubble over. Boil for 15 minutes then take off the heat. Strain everything out. Can drink warm or allow the beverage to cool down before pouring over ice.
Roselle Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
4 cups fresh or frozen roselle calices. Chop it up into smaller pieces.
1.5 cups of water
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 cup of white sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 TSP cinnamon powder
1 TBS lemon juice
Directions
Bring everything except the roselle to a boil. Then add the chopped roselle. Boil for 5-10 minutes until the roselle has softened up. Remove from the heat. Can serve warm or refrigerate.
Roselle Caribbean Christmas Punch
Ingredients
1 cup of dried roselle calices
4 cups of water
1.5 cups of brown sugar
1 medium slice of fresh ginger peeled
8 whole cloves
2 long peel strips from a fresh orange
1 cinnamon stick
2 limes, juiced
Directions
Boil the water, dried roselle calices, ginger, cloves, orange peels, and cinnamon sticks in a pot. Simmer for 40 minutes. Once done, remove from the heat and add the brown sugar, stirring until dissolved. Strain everything out. Add the lime juice. Can be served warm or refrigerated.
Roselle Jelly
Ingredients
10 cups of fresh roselle calices, washed and seed pod removed
5 cups of water
3 cups of sugar
4 TBS no sugar needed pectin
1/4 cup lemon juice
Directions
Bring the water to a boil in a pot and add the roselle calices. Boil for 20 minutes. Then pour thru a strainer to remove the calices. Pour the remaining roselle juice back into the pot and bring to a soft boil. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the no sugar needed pectin. Boil for another 1.5 minutes. Take off the heat and pour the liquid into glass jars. Place in the fridge so the liquid will congeal into jelly.
Roselle Syrup
Ingredients
2 cups of dried roselle calices
2.5 cups of water
2.5 cups of sugar
Directions
Boil everything together in a pot until water has evaporated enough to create the desired syrup consistency. Strain everything out. Can use right away as a pancake or dessert topping. Refrigerate any remaining syrup.
Roselle Jam
This recipe is intended to process/can glass jars for shelf stable storage.
*NOTE* You will need to use fresh roselle calices for this recipe. Wash and peel the calices off. Separate the calices into one bowl AND keep the green seed pods in another bowl. You will need the green seed pods as part of this recipe.
Ingredients
Fresh roselle calices - the more you have the bigger the batch of jam you can make
Water
White sugar - the amount of white sugar you will need depends on how much final roselle jam you have after cooking. You will need equal parts roselle jam to equal parts white sugar.
Directions
Add the green roselle seed pods only to a pot. Add enough water to just cover the seed pods. Boil for 30 minutes. Strain out the seed pods and discard. Add the seed pod liquid back into a pot. Add the fresh peeled roselle calices. Add additional water to make sure there is enough total liquid in the pot to just cover the calices. Boil until the roselle calices are soft (20-30 minutes). Make sure you stir the pot frequently to prevent the jam from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. Remove from the heat and measure how many cups of pre-sweetened roselle jam you have. Measure out the same amount of cups of white sugar, as you have of jam. Place the jam and sugar into a pot and bring to a boil. Stir until all of the sugar has dissolved. Stir until the jam starts to thicken up and sticks to the bottom of the pot if you try to swirl it around. Remove from the heat and store in glass jars.
You can eat this jam immediately. You can put it in the fridge and it will last for a few weeks. Or you can freeze it.
To can jam for long term shelf stable storage, follow standard water bath canning processing methods. This is basic instructions to water bath can jam: Fill jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe the rim of each glass jar with a paper towel soaked in white vinegar to clean and disinfect. Add the lids. Lower each jar into a water bath canner pot. Make sure there is enough water to cover over each jar. Boil/process for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and let everything cool down for 30 minutes. Pull each jar out and set on top of a kitchen towel on your kitchen counter. Don't place the jars immediately over your kitchen counter as the coolness can crack the hot glass jars when they come into contact. Let the jars cool down for 24 hours. Check each lid to make sure they are sealed before storing away.