Officially named the Roselle plant, the juice drawn from the red sepals of the plant is what is called sorrel. The flowers are white to pale yellow with a dark red spot at the base of each petal, as the fruit matures a stout fleshly calyx at the base of plant begins to enlarge and becomes bright red. Although Sorrel is an Island favorite it can be found around the world and in specialty grocery stores. - by Simone Baptiste
Sorrel Recipe
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces dried sorrel
2 cinnamon sticks (each approximately 3 inches long)
1 piece orange peel (fresh or dried, approximately 3 by 1-inch)
12 whole cloves
10-12 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar (or more to taste. Granulated will give a better colour.)
DIRECTIONS
In a non-corrosive pot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil then add the sorrel, sugar, cinnamon stick, whole cloves and orange peel and stir continuously while the mixture boils for one minute.
Cool and cover with foil or plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature to steep for 2 hours or overnight.
Taste for strength and sweetness. If it is too potent, add water or if too tart add more sugar. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a jar and refrigerate. (Discard the spices left in the sieve). The sorrel will stain so use a non-reactive glass jar or bowl. Don’t use plastic.
Recipe from: Recipezaar.com
