I thought using rosellas for cordial and jam, and the leaves for salad, was all I could do with it. It turns out though, that this amazing little plant has a few more uses.
One evening I was wandering around on the internet, and I stumbled across a mention of being able to dry the petals for tea! I had to learn more, so I went straight to Green Harvest and found out that not only do the petals make a yummy tea, it's also high in vitamin C. Knowing the rosella bushes were laden with fruit again, the next morning I took a bucket into the garden and came back with it brimming with rosellas. To tell you the truth, I nearly turned the fruit into jam, thinking that perhaps the tea wouldn't be that good and that I would really like some more jam. But then it got hot and sticky and the last thing I felt like doing was standing in the kitchen stirring jam, so I put the petals onto the trays of my food dehydrator and set them to drying.
They took four or five hours to dry and I didn't get around to collecting them from the dehydrator until the next day. I put the kettle on to boil and popped the crispy petals into a jar, and a spoonful into a tea strainer to brew.
Steeped for five to ten minutes and sweetened with a little honey this tea is soothing and lemony, with a strong colour and delicate flavour that, like most herbal teas, improves on cooling. I've been meaning to try it garnished with mint and I also think it would make a nice iced tea. It would look so pretty in a glass anyway.
If you'd like to make rosella tea, all you have to do is peel the petals off the green pods and put them into your food dehydrator for four to five hours or until dry and crispy. I had the temperature somewhere between 40-50'C and it seemed to work just fine.
Have you been trying any new teas lately?
Discovering new ways to use things from your garden maybe?
We're in the second month of 2016 now - can it be true? I'm afraid so. I usually prefer February to January so I'm quite looking forward to this month with it's extra day.
Have a lovely day!
Sarah x
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Nice work Sarah!
ReplyDeleteThank-you :-)
DeleteThat is definitely the plant that keeps giving! The dried petals look lovely. I recently bought some strawberries and cream iced tea from T2...the smell lured me and the taste is divine x
ReplyDeleteThat sounds so yummy Kate!
DeleteLooks so pretty too!
ReplyDeleteIt does :-)
DeleteIf only rosellas grew over here ...
ReplyDeleteYes they are definitely a warm climate plant :-)
DeleteGorgeous photos! Sadly, I can't grow this beautiful plant in my climate, but it does make a lovely cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteThank-you Kelli. That's a pity, but at least you can buy it dried :-)
DeleteI love this. rosella is "Hibiscus rosa" and it is totally packed with vitamin C, that is why it is so sour. You can find the tea under the name Carcade tea and is very popular in Egypt. A friend of mine bought me a massive bag once and I have been loving it ever since. How lucky you are that you can grow it on your own!!!! It will brew even in cold water, it needs a bit more time though. And you can use the same flowers to make more than one brew, too. Just keep pouring hot water over them until they lose colour and flavour. It will keep you healthy all winter :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your great comment! I didn't know you could brew the tea multiple times, I might have to give that a go x
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