A guest blog post by Tracy Bosnian, NTP and owner of Hula Kitchen.

Hibiscus tea is one of my personal favorites. I have been drinking this tea since I was a little girl. I like to make a whole gallon of it at a time. Please be aware that this is not a substitute for drinking water, as it is a diuretic. Even though it is packed with good electrolytes, as NTPs we know that we must drink our water, and even more so when drinking diuretic beverages. I like to make my tea as a sun tea, but the recipe below can be made in a saucepan as well. The recipe is for 1 gallon of tea.

HIBISCUS SUN TEA:

1-gallon water

1 cup dried hibiscus blossoms

2 tablespoons dried rosehips

2 tablespoons dried ginger

Place all ingredients into a large glass pitcher. Cover the pitcher; if you do not have a cover for your pitcher, a piece of cheesecloth can be used. I just place the cheesecloth over the opening of the pitcher or jar and secure it with a rubber band. It helps to keep the bugs out. Set your tea in a sunny spot until it reaches a beautiful ruby red color. This will depend on how much sun and how warm a day it is. I most often make this tea the day before I want to drink it. When the tea is ready, strain off the herb, and put the tea back into your pitcher. I love to add fresh slices of lime to this. It is also fun to mix it with some fizzy water. It makes the perfect summer drink!

HIBISCUS VINAIGRETTE:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 garlic clove

2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

½ cup avocado oil

½ cup olive oil

¾ cup dried hibiscus flowers

Two days before serving, prepare the vinaigrette. In a blender, combine vinegar, lime, juice, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth. With motor at lowest possible speed, add vegetable oil and olive oil in a thin stream until emulsified, about 10 seconds.
Add hibiscus flowers and allow to soften in liquid for a couple of minutes, then process until roughly chopped. Pour into a container, cover, and refrigerate for 2 days to 1 week.

Tracy graduated as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner in 2005. Tracy is a practicing NTP as well as a Western Herbalist and Certified Food & Spirit Practitioner. Food and herbs are her passion.

She is the owner of Hula Kitchen selling her famous Jerky Spice Mix. Go to www.HulaKitchen.com or email Tracy@HulaKitchen.com for a complete list of products.

To make an appointment for nutritional therapy, go to www.mynutritionaltherapist.com or call 503-803-3677.