Roselle Pods and Greens

Season: Summer (greens), Fall (pods)

Storage: Fresh roselle calyces have a short shelf life of 1-7 days in the refrigerator. It is recommended to consume fresh roselle as quickly as possible for the best quality and flavor. Dry for extended use.

Alternate Names: Florida cranberry, hibiscus, sorrel, jamaica, bissap, gongura, karkade

Fun Fact: The roselle (a type of hibiscus) plant is native to Africa and South Asia. Roselle has been used, since ancient times, for its edible red calyces. The exquisite-looking shrub can be up to 1-2 meters in height and thrives in tropical and subtropical climates worldwide. Roselle leaves are used similarly to spinach in their native regions. They are slightly tart but make an excellent addition to a stir fry, salad, or served with steak and potatoes. The deep red pod of the roselle has many culinary uses, from red food dye to syrups, jams, and sauces. The petals are peeled off from the pods and boiled down to make a base for tea or sauce. The boiled-down petals can also add color and a delightful tang to any curry dish. Roselle is known for its rich nutritional and medicinal properties. Its pods are a good source of anthocyanins, which are colored pigments within the pods that provide antioxidant properties. Roselle is also high in vitamin C. In natural medicine, Roselle is ingested as a natural diuretic and made into teas to soothe sore throats and coughs.

Get local roselle by joining our Farm Share or shopping at farmer’s markets, then share your favorite preparations through our Facebook page.

Chef Constant’s Peanut Butter Greens

During the Farm Fest hosted by PIF and Banding Together, Chef Constant – with the support of PIF Apprentice, Yolande – won the recipe showdown! He wowed the judges with several seasonal recipes from his country – the Republic of Congo.

Ingredients

  • 1 Roselle bunch, remove stems

  • 1 Large eggplant or 2 small eggplants

  • 3-4 Medium tomatoes

  • 1/2 Onion

  • 1 in Ginger

  • 3-4 Garlic cloves (or a garlic chive bunch)

  • 2 – 3 tbsp Peanut butter

  • 8 Cloves garlic

  • 1 tbsp Olive oil

  • Salt & pepper

Instructions

  • Thoroughly wash all of the vegetables and greens. Remove the roselle stems. Chop the roselle leaves. Boil water and add the roselle leaves. Boil the roselle leaves to reduce the sour taste of the roselle.
  • Cube the eggplant. Steam the eggplant with a steaming basket.

  • Chop the tomatoes and the onion in very small pieces. Mince the garlic cloves and ginger. In a bowl, bring together the tomato and all of its juices, onion, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and the peanut butter to create a chunky sauce.

  • Strain the roselle. Once the eggplant is soft, add the roselle and eggplant to a pan with olive oil. Add the chunky sauce to the roselle and eggplant. Let it sit without mixing for 3- 5 minutes.
  • After you let it sit, stir everything and cook for 5- 8 minutes. Enjoy with some fufu!

Gongura Pappu

Recipe By Saffron Trail

This recipe is an Andhra-style dal cooked with roselle leaves. The end result is a sour and spicy dal that goes perfectly with steamed rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry tur dal (yellow lentils)

  • 100 grams fresh roselle leaves

  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

  • 2 tbsp ghee

  • pinch of asafoetida (optional)

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds

  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

  • 2 sprigs curry leaves

  • 1-4 green chillies

  • 8 cloves garlic

  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  • To prepare gongura pappu, wash the dal well. Soak the plucked out gongura leaves (discard stems) in a bowl of water, allowing any mud / impurities to settle. Wash, repeat the process twice. Chop roughly and keep aside.
  • In a 5 liter+ pressure cooker / pressure pan, add the tur dal, chopped gongura leaves and turmeric. Add 3.5 cups water. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and keep flame on sim (minimum) for 10-12 minutes. Once cooker is cool enough, open the lid and mash the dal along with the gongura using the back of a round ladle.
  • Peel the garlic. Smash and finely mince the garlic cloves. Grate the ginger. Slit the green chilies. Keep these ingredients ready for tempering.
  • To prepare the tempering for the gongura pappu, heat ghee in a large kadai (heavy bottomed pan).
  • Sprinkle the asafoetida, cumin, and mustard seeds. As soon as the seeds splutter, strip off curry leaves from the stems and add to the ghee, along with slit green chilies, garlic, and ginger.
  • Stir for a minute on low flame. Mix in the sliced onion with a pinch of salt and sweat on a medium flame for 7-8 minutes until the onions are soft. Transfer the cooked dal and gongura to this tempering, along with the salt, and allow to come to a simmer. Adjust consistency with some water if needed.
  • Serve hot with rice and ghee, and any other vegetable dish.

Note: If you don’t have a pressure cooker, then soak the tur dal for one hour and cook in a pan with fresh water, enough to cover the dal and some more. Simmer for around 45 minutes until the dal is completely soft.

Sorrel (Caribbean Red Drink)

Recipe by The Washington Post

Ingredients

  • 1 gallon water

  • 1/2 cup (about 1 ounce) dried roselle hibiscus flowers, cut or whole, or 1 cup fresh roselle flowers

  • 6 whole allspice, folded in parchment paper and gently crushed by tapping with a heavy bottle or knife handle

  • 5 whole cloves

  • 3 green cardamom pods, folded in parchment paper and gently crushed by tapping with a heavy bottle or knife handle

  • 1/4 teaspoon green cardamom seeds

  • 1 whole star anise, broken, or 11 whole fennel seeds

  • One (1/2-inch) cinnamon stick

  • 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger or 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger

  • 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

  • 1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

  • Dash of crushed red pepper flakes

  • Fresh raw cane juice, turbinado raw sugar or agave, optional, to taste

  • Fresh mint sprigs, preferably mojito or fresh basil leaves, preferably African Blue Basil or Thai, to serve (optional)

Instructions

  • In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a vigorous boil. Add the hibiscus flowers, allspice, cloves, cardamom pods and seeds, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, peppercorns, coriander and pepper flakes. Stir and bring back to a rolling boil for 15 minutes. The liquid will reduce a bit.

  • Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for at least 15 and up to 30 minutes. The longer the drink steeps, the deeper red and more flavorful it will become. Stir well and strain the drink through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-gallon pitcher.

  • While the drink is still warm, add fresh raw cane juice, turbinado raw sugar or agave, if using, to taste, stirring until it is well blended or dissolved. (The amount of sweetener will vary depending on the type and your taste; Start with a little and taste until it’s to your liking.)

  • Refrigerate until well chilled, if serving cold, at least 1 hour. Stir well before serving, and pour into ice-filled Mason jars or glasses. Garnish with mint sprigs, basil or African Blue Basil, if using. The drink also can be served hot, if preferred.

Roselle Pod Jam

Recipe by Thermo Mix Recipes

Ingredients

  • 300g Roselle flower

  • 150g Rock Sugar /冰糖

  • 20g Lemon Juice

  • 1 cup passion fruit juice

Instructions

  • Place the Roselle flower into mixing bowl to chop.

  • Add in rock sugar & passion fruit juice to cook until dry

  • Put it in a sterilized and airtight jar. After cooling, put it in the refrigerator to enjoy

Jamaican Sorrel Punch

Recipe from thekitchn

Ingredients

  • 8 cups of water
  • 6 ounces roselle
  • 5 ounces sliced fresh ginger
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • 3 scrapes from a whole nutmeg (optional)

  • 1 cup Jamaican white rum (optional)

  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups simple syrup

  • Juice of 1 orange (about 1/2 cup)

  • 1 teaspoon lime juice

  • Orange slices, for garnish

  • Ice

Instructions

  • Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat and add the sorrel, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg if using. Cover and let steep for 1 hour.

  • Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Discard the dried sorrel and spices.

  • Add the rum, if using, simple syrup, orange juice, and lime juice to the strained mixture and stir to combine. Transfer to a pitcher or punch bowl filled with ice. Garnish with orange slices before serving in ice-filled cups.

Note: The sorrel will become stronger, and consequently tarter, the longer it steeps in the hot water.

SUPPORT LOCAL  

Join Plant It Forward as we forge a new American farming tradition

Farm Share
DONATE NOW
Share your recipe on Facebook