A hibiscus plant is cultivated in many gardens and homes. The reason for this is their beautiful, funnel-shaped flowers. There are around 500 varieties worldwide, some of which are even suitable for consumption and extremely healthy.

Hibiscus flowers are high in vitamin C

Are all hibiscus flowers edible?

Not all hibiscus plants have aromatic-tasting flowers. If you want to dry them for consumption, the following are good:

  • Chinese rose mallow (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
  • Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa)
  • Garden marshmallow (Hibiscus syriacus)
  • Marsh marshmallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)

Dry hibiscus flowers

Tea made from hibiscus blossoms tastes extremely refreshing when enjoyed cold. Due to the high content of vitamin C, drinking it hot prevents colds. You can also use the dried flowers as a decoration for dishes, for example as a healthy splash of color in salads.

  1. The fully blossomed flowers are harvested no later than two days after they have blossomed.
  2. Briefly soak them in water to remove dust and dirt.
  3. Place a piece of kitchen paper or a kitchen towel on a wire rack.
  4. Spread out the flowers on this. If possible, they should not touch each other.
  5. Place in an airy, shaded spot and turn daily.

If you have a dehydrator, you can also dry the hibiscus flowers in it. Place the flowers on the grates and turn on the device to a temperature between thirty and forty degrees. The drying time is about four hours.

tea making

For a small pot of tea you need eight to ten flowers, which corresponds to fifteen grams. Place them in the pot and pour boiling water over them. Leave for ten to fifteen minutes. Then strain and enjoy. It tastes very delicious if you add dried rosehip peels to the hibiscus blossoms.

Dry hibiscus for room decoration or crafts

Silicia pellets or special plant drying salt are best suited for this. Please note that flowers dried in this way may no longer be consumed:

  1. Fill a tight-fitting container that will comfortably accommodate the hibiscus flowers with about an inch of desiccant material.
  2. Place flowers stem down.
  3. Fill carefully with salt or jelly balls, being careful not to deform the petals.
  4. close the vessel.
  5. After two to three days the drying process is complete and you can carefully remove the dried flowers.

tips

If you want to dry hibiscus flowers for consumption, you should only harvest them from plants that have not been sprayed and that do not grow on busy roads.

Category:

Vegetable garden