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).

Jamaican Sorrel

In Jamaica this is a popular drink, especially during Christmas time. I wouldn't recommend it though for people who suffer from diabetes or have a high blood sugar count. According to Wikipedia (see description below)

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is a species of hibiscus native to the Old World tropics. It is an annual or perennial herb or woody-based sub shrub, growing to 2–2.5 m tall. The leaves are deeply three- to five-lobed, 8–15 cm long, arranged alternately on the stems.Ingrdients: dried sorrel, dried ginger, sugar, allspice

Recipe:
1/8 tea spoon ground allspice (pimento) or about 12 whole allspice (optional)
6 oz dried sorrel
2 rounded table spoon dry ginger
8 cups water
2.5 cups water for re-draft
1.5 cups white sugar

Yields 8.5 cups of drink

1. Spread the sorrel out on aluminum foil or a white cloth which will make it easy to spot and remove any debris or unfit sorrel pieces.

2. After you have cleaned the sorrel pour it into a large cooking pot with 8 cups of water. Add the the two rounded tablespoons of ginger.

3. Boil the mixture for10 minutes after it begins to boil. Remove immediately and pour through a strainer into a suitable container.

4. Return the remains from the strainer and return to the cooking pot and add 2.5 cups of water. Bring to a rapid boil again and remove after 10 minutes.

5. Strain the mixture and discard the residue.

6. Sweeten with 1.5 cups of white sugar or to taste.