Roselle Hibiscus Harvest Preserving And HEALTH

Thai Red Roselle Hibiscus Harvesting

The Roselle Hibiscus (Sabdariffa) has fast become one of my favorites to grow and harvest. I've spent hours this summer picking the ruby red calyces, removing the seed pods and laying them out on screens to dry.

I decided early on in the season that I was determined to dry them all naturally this year. Previously I had made jam and jelly and put the bulk of them up in the freezer. That really was a whole lot more work than I had bargained for. 

Drying the calyx was easy with the drying racks Mr. Garden had built several years ago. I'm sure you've seen them in previous posts. With good air cirrculation it took about three days to get them pretty close to dry. I've always understood that plants retain more beneficial and healthful properties when dried naturally.

Calyx Prepared for Drying

Using 5 screened trays that had actually come out of an old egg incubator that no longer worked, I've been able to keep the Roselle Calyx rotated outdoors. After the third day I would find them nearly completely dry. Our humidity in Southeast Texas was running a tad high during parts of the summer. That could be a slight understatement!

So I would simply bring the tray indoors and spread them out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them in the oven on the lowest setting for a couple of hours. The parchment paper actually helped absorb any extra moisture. You must watch carefully, so not to over baked them.

The flesh of the calyx is pretty thick and quite juicy. If I hadn't let them dry naturally for 3 days, it would have taken a whole lot longer in the oven or even the dehydrator. This I find to be a more sustainable option, in that less electricity was used. 

Stored in Air Tight Mason Jars

Storage is also important for keeping your Roselle fresh and dry. I've chosen air tight mason jars and inserted a piece of paper towel as well. I will keep my jars stored in a cool, dry and dark place for best results.

Roselle Tea Blend with a Sprig of Lemon Grass

Now it's time to enjoy the sunset outdoors with a hot cup of my favorite tea blend. I've used equal parts of Roselle Hibiscus, Green Tea, Dried Chamomile and Dried Stevia, crushed together and steeped in a cup of hot water using my tea balls. I also enjoy cutting a fresh sprig of Lemon Grass for my swizzle stick.

Below I've listed some of the many health benefits from Roselle. 

*It is very high in vitimin C.* Immune Boosting* Lower blood pressure
* Normalize the sugar blood* Regulate uric acid* Lower cholesterol
* Healing coughs* Good for skin, reduces wrinkles.* Reduce overweight
* Protect from infections* Contains Omega 3* Regulates metabolism.

Happy Gardening!

Pammy