Homemade hibiscus tincture is remembered for its rich red color and characteristic sourness. The sweetness of the drink can be adjusted to your liking, and even turn the tincture into a liquor. The technology of preparation is standard.
Sudanese, Indian and Thai hibiscus tea is considered to be of the highest quality, the worst is Chinese, packaged in bags.
Other names for the hibiscus flower: hibiscus, Sudanese rose, rosella, red tea, okra, Kandahar, red sorrel, Venice mallow.
Store-bought vodka, alcohol diluted with water or odorless moonshine (double distillation) are suitable as an alcohol base.
Ingredients:
- vodka (alcohol 40-45%, moonshine) – 0,5 liters;
- hibiscus tea – 2 tablespoons (with a slide);
- orange zest – from half a medium fruit (optional);
- ginger – 1-3 thin circles (to taste, optional);
- sugar (honey) – up to 100 grams (to taste);
- water – optional (to reduce the strength).
The introduction of orange peel enriches the aroma of the tincture with citrus notes (the hibiscus itself gives a faint aroma). It is advisable to add ginger only to lovers of spicy flavor. If you are planning a dessert drink, it is better to do without ginger.
I advise you to sweeten the tincture after preparation. In addition to sugar, fresh (not candied) flower or linden honey is suitable. To reduce the strength, it is advisable to sweeten with syrup (sugar or honey diluted in water in a ratio of 1: 1).
Hibiscus tincture recipe
1. Wash the orange in hot water, then rinse with running water and wipe dry to remove the preservative from the peel. Using a vegetable peeler or a knife, remove the zest – the top orange layer without white bitter pulp.
2. Add hibiscus tea, orange zest and ginger (optional) to the infusion container. Pour in the alcohol base (vodka, alcohol, moonshine). Mix, seal tightly.
3. Infuse for 10 days in a dark room at room temperature. Shake every 2 days.
4. Strain the finished tincture on hibiscus through gauze, squeeze the cake to dryness. For transparency, filter the drink through cotton wool or a coffee filter.
5. Sweeten to taste with sugar, honey or syrup. To prepare the syrup, mix sugar and water in a saucepan in equal proportions, bring to a boil, boil for 3-5 minutes over low heat, removing white foam, then cool to room temperature before adding. In the case of honey, heat no higher than 60 ° C so that no harmful substances are released.
6. Pour the finished drink into bottles for storage. Close hermetically. Before tasting, leave for 2-3 (preferably 6-8) days in the refrigerator or cellar to stabilize the taste.
The shelf life of homemade hibiscus tincture is up to 3 years. Fortress – 25-36% vol.
