Hibiscus has many medicinal uses – a lovely flavor as herbal tea, tasty and a little tangy – a bit lemony in fact. The flowers used for medicinal purposes are the beautiful red flowers, commonly grown in gardens and pots. These beautiful red flowers have an amazing flavor. In Africa a delicious hibiscus punch is called Karkade, giving punches and teas a lemony flavor and a rich red color. The flowers do come in other colors like pink, orange, and yellow but it’s the red flowers that are used medicinally.

The tender leaves are emollient (soothing the mucus lining), diuretic (treating fluid retention), refrigerant (cooling especially if you feel the heat on hot days) also have a sedative calming effect on the whole system. The fruits are anti-scorbutic, meaning they are high in vitamin C.

The plant is boiled in water are used as a drink in bilious attacks in West Africa.
In the Philippines the bitter root is used as a tonic and to encourage appetite. Angolans use the mucilaginous leaves as an emollient remedy to soothe a cough.
In China the seeds are used for their oil and many Egyptians now use it to lower their blood pressure. The Cubans puts some leaves in hot water and drink as a tea to calm the nerves. Hibiscus flower extract has been used in many folk remedies for high blood pressure by decreasing the viscosity of the blood.

Other compounds found in the red flowers have a choleretic effect (enhancing the liver function). The flowers have been found to stimulate intestinal peristalsis, helping to relieve constipation in a mild way. The antioxidant compounds like flavonoids, polyphenolics and anthocyanins, contained in the flower contribute to health and anti-aging in general.

How to prepare hibiscus – pick the buds in the morning, clean and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them that same day. Many different parts of the plant can be used – the calyx is the part that holds the petals, like a small crown.

If you have a dehydrator – to assure the best quality and preservation of the natural oils and plant properties, they should be dehydrated under 40 degrees C.

When using the fresh hibiscus petals make sure they have not been exposed to pesticides, fertilizers etc.

Chop up the fresh calyxes and add to fruit salads or as a side dish the calyxes can be very lightly saute in a little coconut oil and seasoned.

Place the hibiscus calyxes in a pan with some water, whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, some grated fresh ginger, bring to the boil, then turn off the heat, leave to settle for a little while, drink while still warm.

The fruity fleshy flowers can be used in a variety of different ways to add colour, taste and richness. In the food industry hibiscus is used in sauces, jellies, jams, cakes, ice-creams, sorbets, iced drinks, and herbal teas. It contains pectin – important in the marmalade, jelly and jam making industry.

If you want a cooling, refreshing drink make a tea from the fresh red flowers and cool in the refrigerator, serve with ice on a hot sunny day, this red beverage will look lovely at any BBQ. Young tender leaves are eaten in salads and are used for seasoning curries. Seeds have been used as an aphrodisiac coffee substitute.

It is reported that hibiscus is safe but if you have never experienced it before take a small amount at first and see how you get on with it. Remember one man’s meat is another man’s poison.

This recipe is not mine I found it on the net
By Fannie P. Hernandez
Culinary Capers: The Panama Canal Review, Spring 1973
Sorrel Beverage (the name for hibiscus)
Fruit beverages are good the year around, but sorrel, the light, spicy concoction made from the bright, red blossoms of a shrubby plant of the ornamental hibiscus family, combined with other flavorings, seems to be more appropriate during the Christmas season, when it is available. Sorrel is also related to the okra family. It is not really a fruit but the petals of a flower. The deep, red petals have a tangy flavor similar to the cranberry. Make sorrel beverage like this:
2 cups sorrel petals
1/4 ounce crushed ginger root
2 cloves
1 small piece orange peel
3/4 cup sugar (I suggest you use a lot less local honey)
4 cups boiling water
Cut off the hard portion at the base of the flower, discard the seed pod. Wash the sorrel petals. Place in a large bowl with the ginger, cloves and orange peel. Add the boiling water and let it steep overnight. The following day, strain the liquid and add the sugar. Stir well and serve cold or with ice. By adding a dash of rum, you have a delicious, heady beverage.