Pallet for Home

This next Cottage Pantry addition tempted me with it's multitude of uses in addition to it's storing potential.

(Hibiscus sabdariffa) A valuable plant for making cranberry-flavored bright red beverages, jelly, pie and tea. Much grown in Asia and the mid-east as the flavor is wonderful. A tasty sauce can be made by boiling and sweetening the fleshy calyxes; the leaves are also used to make a drink. The entire plant of this Hibiscus is red and very beautiful. Start early, unless you live in the far-south. Citrus-flavored flowers are delicious on frozen deserts. This plant has too many uses to name here. Collected in Thailand.

This is the Thai red Roselle * offered by Baker Creek Heirlooms. I became rather intrigued with the thought of a new twist in our teas & summer drinks grown on our own vs. buying. Upon more research, discovering this plant has an amazing array of uses & potentials, I KNEW I had to share & of course grow it ourselves.It has a cranberry like taste, not sweet, but not overly tart and of course rich in Vitamin C as well as antioxidants. Although Wikipedia's source * shares a massive piece on it's uses & growth, let's delve into a few here. Between medicinal, fiber & blow your mind array of EDIBLES!

lets hop straight to dessert with a Hibiscus infused Lemon tart!

The mingling of lemon & hibiscus in a creamy light textured tart with this amazing flavor filled crisp crust won us over from first bite. Not too mention, a great way to incorporate some of that homemade Limoncello!

Maybe you prefer cheesecake? Then how about a  fat free  Oatmeal Cocoa Crusted Hibiscus Cheesecake! Topped with a Hibiscus Jam & syrup...

Who knew you could make a great tasting JAM from Roselle Hibiscus? Wonder how it tastes with peanut butter... or even better Nutella! {We are planting hazelnut trees this spring due to the insane love our kids have for this expensive alternative to peanut butter}.

This is one useful flavoring flower! Everything from Hibiscus infused salt for Fin Tuna to Popsicles , a multitude of drink varieties, as well as ice cream and cookies.  I found over 60 recipes for Hibiscus at this link* {http://www.tastespotting.com/tag/hibiscus}

As for growing Red Roselle ,aka Hibiscus, one must take in mind it is not a northern acclimated plant. To grow in the north, we must start the seed indoors as early as January or February. Do not plant out until temps are staying at least 65-70 F degrees. When the temps are getting cold, well before that first frost, pot a few up * place under grow lights so you are able to let the smaller later blooms go to seed. Replenishing your supply for the next year. Mother Earth News has a very nice article for further reading on growing your Thai Red Roselle over at this link*.
For reading more on it's medicinal use as a tea for ailments such as high blood pressure, lowering of cholesterol & prevention of liver damage from acetaminophen, I direct you to yet another link* due to the mass of information.

Another use  I discovered which is non edible related, Hibiscus is also used as a Natural bright red dye for fabrics. I am experimenting this winter on natural plant derived dyes on cotton and hope to make my way to the art of hot Batik. I have so many plants & flowers we grow that are great for naturally dyeing fabric. I'm starting with Flour sack cotton towels to use as  a cover for my rising yeast breads. My SIL has an embroidery machine so I may send some off to her for putting a few Black silhouette roosters on the edges...

Who knew that the main ingredient in red zinger teas would be so versatile?! From drinks to desserts to condiment flavoring. Lots of potential packed into a plant that will also look outstanding with it's purple red hues against all that greenery in the garden.

Our next & last Cottage Pantry Potential is coming soon. Not as exotic or rare but often overlooked for the winter Pantry, being American diets have turned away from their "Roots"..

1/18/2012**I must add this to my post, when brewing the hibiscus, steep it in hard boiling water {take water off the stove once at hard boiling level then add the roselle} by itself for at least 10 minutes before adding any other tea ingredients. I have personally found that by doing this, the Roselle gives a much "deeper" berry taste before adding Rooibus to the tea pot. I also add a hefty tablespoon of Rose hips when I do the roselle hibiscus. The 2 make an excellent tea which the children & I agree it is much like a berry juice! Just a tad of sugar or honey for balance is all you will need. This has become a huge hit with our tea times and I find myself having to make a dash to the co-op for more Hibiscus now that the large Jar is almost bare. Not the average tea taste. Very fruity, Berry like. Sure to please almost any non tea drinker.