Agua de Jamaica -- Hibiscus Iced Tea

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups Hibiscus flowers (Flor de Jamaica)
• 4 cups water (for steeping)
• 1/4 cup sugar (or agave)
• 4 cups water (for diluting)

Instructions

1. 1

   Add 1.5 cups of Hibiscus flowers to a saucepan along with 4 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat. Cover and let steep until it cools, 30 minutes or so.

2. 2

   Strain the mixture and discard the leftover flowers. You'll end up with 4 cups of Agua de Jamaica concentrate.

3. 3

   I use a 1:1 concentrate-to-water ratio and approximately 1 Tablespoon of sugar per cup of concentrate, but you can easily alter these once you give it a taste. Add 4 cups of concentrate to a 2 quart sized pitcher along with 4 cups of cold water and 1/4 cup of sugar. Combine well and take a taste, adding more sugar or diluting further if you want to.

4. 4

   Serve over ice and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.