Hibiscus Syrup + 2021 Ball® Home Canning Ambassador

This post is sponsored by Ball® Home Canning presented by Newell Brands.

Hello friends! It’s been ages since I’ve been able to make my way to this space in any real way. The double whammy of new parenthood and pandemic really threw me and for a long stretch of time, I felt like I forgot how to string words together in any kind of meaningful pattern. My recipe development skills went soft (I can’t tell you the last time I canned anything). To be perfectly honest, I felt more than a little lost.

But now, we’re at the start of another canning season and I can’t bear to let this one go by in the same fog I felt last year. And so, here I am. Kicking things off with a simple little recipe for hibiscus syrup to celebrate the fact that I’m here and that I’m an @ballcanning ambassador again this season (there’s nothing like a well-aligned partnership to keep me present and creative).

Twice a month for the rest of the year, I’ll be sharing recipes, ideas, and new products from Ball® Home Canning presented by Newell Brands.

So let’s talk about hibiscus syrup. I have long been in the habit of keeping dried hibiscus flowers in my pantry to make various teas and infusions (they also add welcome color and brightness to this rhubarb jam). They keep indefinitely (I like to store them in the Ball® Amber Jars, to help extend their life even longer), aren’t particularly expensive (a pound will cost between $10-20, depending on the source) and are always ready to transform into a ruby-hued liquid.

Once the days turn warmer, I find that I like to have a homemade syrup or two in the fridge, to give a little flavor to my quart jar of fizzy water. As fresh fruit comes into season, I’ll use whatever is available, but right now, I’m turning to my stash of dried hibiscus flowers to give my water some pep.

The process could not be simpler. Working by volume, combine one part hibiscus flowers, two parts granulated sugar, and two parts water in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, simmer for five minutes, let cool, and strain. For this most recent batch, I used one cup of hibiscus, and two cups each sugar and water and had just enough to fill a single Ball® Flute Pint Jar. Now, I know that this feels like a lot of sugar, but because the flavor and sweetness are so concentrated, a little will go a very long way.

Once your syrup is made, you can use it like I do in sparkling water (just a teaspoon or two in a Ball® Pint & Half Jar of water does the trick for me). It’s also tasty drizzled over berries that need a little lift or as the sweetener in a batch of lemonade. It’s also a good thing to have on hand if you like to have an homemade cocktail. I’d love to hear how you’d use it!

Though hibiscus is naturally high in vitamin C, this is not a recipe that has been tested for safe canning. Make it in small batches and keep it in the refrigerator.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post that is part of an ongoing partnership with Ball® Home Canning presented by Newell Brands. They have provided jars, equipment and monetary compensation. All thoughts and opinions expressed remain my own.