Thursday 25 April 2013

Rosella Tea

This year I am determined to make better use of my rosella's than in the past couple of years.
I have discovered that the fruit is at it optimum for jams, sauces and stewing when it is young and when the fruit gets a bit older it gets a bit stringy.  Then when it is stewed you end up picking them out of each mouthful.
The optimum time for picking the fruit is between 3 and 6 days after the flower drops off.  Then from there the longer you leave them the tougher and thicker the flesh gets.
So I decided that I some would dry some in a friends dehydrator for use as herbal tea.  As I mentioned the other day these are some of the reported health benefits:

Health Benefits:

  • Lowers Blood Pressure
  • Lowers Cholesterol
  • Maintains healthy blood lipid levels
  • Very High source of active Anthocyanin Antioxidants shown to fight cancer and abnormal cell growth


They dried really well and make a great (tart if you add too many) cuppa,  You could add a bit of honey like my friends did but I really liked the tart flavour.
I am really glad I have found a use for the older fruit so they will not go to waste.  I am also thinking of a few more uses for rosellas that I want to try.  I will keep you posted.
What home made herbal teas do you make?

2 comments:

  1. None but im thinking i could use the lemon balm i planted to attract bees. Maybe? I think im going to have to plant something.

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  2. I love rosella with ginger (fresh or dried). I dry all the herbs in my garden, and make a mix of tea - peppermint, mint, lemon grass, tarragon, thyme, sage, basil, lucerne and borage and calendula flowers. I just needs some lemon balm....

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