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1
Rinse the flowers in cold water and drain thoroughly.
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2
Put them in a saucepan, cover with the water, and let steep for at least 4 hours or overnight.
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3
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
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4
Stir in the sugar and continue to cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.
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5
Let cool to room temperature.
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6
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.
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7
Add water to bring the volume up to 4 cups.
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8
If the flavor is too intense, add more water as needed.
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9
You can also add a little more sugar if you like.
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10
Refrigerate until completely chilled.
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11
Serve as is or over ice.
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12
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.
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13
This will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.
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14
To make a beverage, simply put about 1/4 cup of the concentrate in a glass, add about 1 cup water, and sweeten with sugar to taste.
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15
Feel free to adjust these amounts to fit your taste.
