A Recipe for Hibiscus Tea Granita

I’m the sort of person who needs sun cream just to open the fridge. I do not like the heat. I am not built for it. If I was a plant, I would be the kind that thrives in a dappled woodland environment. Like the plants in my garden, I for one was very welcoming of the much-needed rainfall after the melting temperatures in the UK last week.  

Being a stereotypical British herbalist, I mostly drink tea. However last week’s infernal blaze meant all I cared about was keeping cool. I took to making copious batches of herbal iced tea and glugging them straight from the fridge.

One of my favourite herbal teas is hibiscus - a flowering plant from the mallow family.

I first learned about this glorious, deep red tea as a student living and working in Seville. (I know. For someone who does not thrive in the heat, I am often baffled by my decision to go and study in what is probably, one of the hottest cities in Europe.)

I was recently reminded of this floral beverage, when I stumbled across a blog written by a lovely fellow Substack writer called Samantha Childress from the Cairo Dispatch, who I must thank for prompting me to become reacquainted with this fragrant plant, and for kindly allowing me to share her recipe.*

*The recipe has been lightly adapted as I was unable to source the baladi lemons suggested in the post. The original recipe (blood orange and Campari granita) is credited to Domenica Marchetti.

Hibiscus Tea Granita

You will need:

4 cups of water
1 cup (about 25 grams,) of dried hibiscus flowers (or the equivalent number of tea bags filled with 100% dried hibiscus flowers)
6 tablespoons of sugar
The juice of 2 limes

Method:

1. Pour the water into a saucepan and add the hibiscus flowers

2. Bring the infusion to a low boil. Remove the pot from the heat

3. While the mixture is still hot, add the sugar, (6 tablespoons, or to taste) and stir until it dissolves

4. Replace the pan lid (if you have one) to prevent all of the delicate essential aromatics from escaping

5. When the mixture reaches room temperature, sift it into a pitcher, removing the flowers

6. Stir in the lime juice

7. Once cool, pour the liquid into a suitable storage container and freeze. Check your granita every 20-30 minutes, raking with a fork as ice crystals form to prevent the liquid from freezing into a block. This will achieve a texture like shaved ice.

8. Serve with ice-cream.

---

DIY Flower Essences Course starts tomorrow

From tomorrow, paid subscribers will gain access to my DIY Flower Essences course, which covers everything you need to know to create your own library of signature flower essence remedies.

The course covers

• Vibrational medicine - What it is & how it relates to flower essences

• Wildcrafting your raw ingredients

• Equipment

• How to select & prepare your remedies

• Bottling, storing & dispensing your creations

• Detailed resources

Along with handy checklists, foraging tips, and a tour of some popular remedies, participants also get access to a live “Ask the Herbalist” Q&A session where we’ll be discussing our projects together.

The great thing about running short courses through Substack is that you can access all of the lessons and workshop notes in one place. Being able to sit down and read through everything at time that suits you, allows you the necessary space to work through the project at your own leisure.

Maybe you’re part of a group who would enjoy learning home apothecary skills together? Perhaps you’re a group of walkers, student herbalists, gardeners or holistic practitioners who would benefit from learning these medicine making skills?

Until Wednesday 31st August I’m offering a 50% discount on group subscriptions (minimum of 4 people.) The usual price for a subscription is $6 per month (or about £4, the price of a cup of coffee here in the UK.)

You can check out that offer here.

That’s about it for now. If you have any questions at all about today’s newsletter, or indeed would like to tell me your thoughts on which plants you’d take with you to a desert island, please drop me a line with your musings which I’d be delighted to hear.