Hibiscus Tincture & Alcohol-Free Extract

Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa), the roselle, is a tall annual or short-lived perennial of the mallow family, Malvaceae, probably native to West Africa and grown throughout the tropics, from Sudan and Egypt to Mexico and Thailand. Reddish stems reach 2-2.5 m with lobed leaves and pale yellow flowers with a dark red eye. After flowering the fleshy, deep red calyces swell around the seed capsule; dried, they brew a bright crimson, sharply sour drink known as karkade or agua de jamaica. We extract the dried flower.