Roselle Jam
Ingredients:
- Rosellas/Calyces
- Sugar
- Water
- 1 teaspoon of butter
- The juice of 1 lemon
The Recipe:
- Separate red calyces from the seedpods
- Wash and drain each separately.
- In a saucepan, add seeds and water until the seeds are just covered. Tip: (Add a little extra water to the seeds, at this stage, if necessary, rather than adding extra later)
- Bring to a boil and cook covered for 30 minutes.
- Strain and reserve the juice in a second saucepan. The seeds can now be discarded.
- To this juice, add the red calyxes, which have been thoroughly washed and drained. The calyxes may not be completely covered with juice, but they will boil down very quickly.
- Boil for 20 minutes until a ‘pulp’ is formed
- Measure the volume of cooked pulp and return to the pan. (measurement is needed for step 10)
- Add one good teaspoon of butter and the juice of one lemon.
- Add an equal amount of warmed sugar to the pulp. For example, add 1 cup of sugar to each cup of pulp, stirring well till all the sugar is completely dissolved. (pre-warm sugar on a heat-proof tray, in an oven on low heat)
- Boil quickly, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the jam falls thickly from a spoon when tested.
Roselle Drink
Ingredients:
- 4 cups roselle calyces
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon whole allspice
- 3” piece of cinnamon
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions:
Cover roselle calyces with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Strain juice through a jelly cloth. Combine recovered juice with sugar and spices and simmer for another 15 minutes. Strain out solids, and combine with orange and lemon juice. Serve hot as a winter drink or cold in the summer. Depending upon your tastes you may prefer to mix with additional water to thin it out, especially if you are using as a cold summer drink.
Below are the Roselle Calyces and Flowers. After the flower, the calyce forms. They get bright red and thick. That is when they are ready.
