Hibiscus Syrup
This sweet, tart, and floral hibiscus simple syrup recipe is perfect for elevating cocktails, teas, sodas, and more.
Servings: 20 servings
Calories: 39kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dried hibiscus flowers
- 2-3 strips orange peel
Instructions
- Add water and sugar to a small saucepan and stir occasionally over medium heat until a gentle simmer is reached and sugar has dissolved.
- Remove saucepan from heat, then add hibiscus flowers and orange peel. Cover and steep 15-20 minutes.
- Pour syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a heat-safe container. Allow it to cool before transferring to a flip-top bottle or mason jar.
Notes
- Don't allow the hibiscus leaves or orange peel to boil, as this can extract more tannic/bitter notes.
- Feel free to adjust the steeping time to taste. A shorter steep produces a lighter, more delicate flavor, while a longer steep makes it increasingly tart and concentrated. Start tasting around the 10-15 minute mark if you're unsure.
- Use a vegetable peeler for the orange. This makes it easy to remove wide strips of peel while leaving most of the bitter white pith behind.
- Let the syrup cool before judging the flavor. Aromas and flavors can seem different while the syrup is hot.
- Remember that the flavor changes once diluted. The syrup should taste fairly intense by itself. Once you add a tablespoon or two to sparkling water, tea, or a cocktail, the tartness and sweetness should become more subtle.
- Start small if you choose to add warming spices. Hibiscus has a beautiful flavor of its own, and strong spices can quickly overpower it.
- Stored in a clean, airtight container in the fridge, hibiscus simple syrup is best used within 2-3 weeks.
- For longer storage, pour syrup into an ice cube tray and freeze, then thaw individual portions as needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 39kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 0.002g | Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 2mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 10g
