Christmas Drink-Sorrel

It has whorled spikes of reddish-green flowers, which bloom in June and July, becoming purplish. The stamens and pistils are on different plants; the ripe seeds are brown and shining.

One of the most refreshing drinks is "Sorrel." This drink is especially enjoyed during the holidays. I have remember my mother in Jamaica telling me she use to handpick the flowers. The seed of the sorrel is covered with fine prickly hairs that eventually find their way into the pads of your fingers.

Sorrel  is our favourite drink for Christmas and New Year.
To my mind  it should not be made thick and sweet, for then it becomes sickly and cloying.
It should be a light, refreshing drink that one accepts gladly during one's
round of Christmas visit and not one to be avoided.
The drink can be made from dried sorrel or sorrel syrup

8cups(3 1/2 pints, 2 litres) Sorrel petals Rum
2 oz (50 g) grated ginger        
Sugar
12cups (5 pints, 3 litres) boiling Water
Place the sorrel and ginger in a large container and pour on the boiling water.
Cover and leave  overnight, then strain through a muslin cloth or a sieve.
Add a little white rum  to preserve and sugar to sweeten. Bottle and refrigerate.
Makes approximately 4 1/2 pints (2.75 litres).