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Title: Agua De Jamaica (Hibiscus Cooler)
Categories: Beverages, Mexican
Yield: 1 Quart

1 c Dried hibiscus flowers
4 c Water
1/3 c Sugar; or more if needed

Rinse the flowers in cold water and drain thoroughly. Put them in a
saucepan, cover with water, and let steep for at least 4 hours or
overnight.

I like to soak the flowers overnight, as is traditional in my family,
because I feel this extracts more of the subtle, tart, berrylike
flavor. Once you're done, instead of discarding the hibiscus flowers,
save them to snack on. They'll be a little sweet, and I think they're
delicious. Just be sure to keep them refrigerated.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and
simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the sguar and continue to cook,
stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room
temperature. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher,
pressing the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as
much liquid as possible. Ad water to bring the volume up to 4 cups.
If the flavor is too intense, add more water as needed. You can also
add a little sugar if you like.

Refrigerate until completely chilled. Serve as is or over ice.

To make a concentrate:

Double the amount of hibiscus, eliminate the sugar, and cook the
mixture down until the liquid is reduced to one-third. This will keep
for several weeks in the refrigerator. To make a beverage, simply put
about 1/4 c of the concentrate in a glass, add about 1 c water, and
sweeten with sugar to taste. Feel free to adjust these amounts to fit
your taste.

Recipe by Fany Gerson

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