Chilled Yerba Mate with Hibiscus Tea
This beverage has replaced most all soft drinks around here. I started making it a few years ago because I love the flavor and I know exactly what is in it and more importantly - what's NOT in it.
As it has been offered to guests over the years, I keep getting more and more requests for the recipe. I digress a little here from my usual local, homegrown focus - but it's worth it. I had no idea how good this stuff was for our bodies (aside from feeling great) until I did some further research a few months back. Can I just say, WOW!!! I'm including more info on that here after the recipe for those interested in the nutritional and health benefits. *It should be noted that there have arisen some concerns about residual carbon due to the common practice of smoking the yerba mate to cure it, and some operations are switching to an air drying method of curing. It is also thought by some to be best enjoyed cold as opposed to the traditional style of drinking it with super hot water from a gourd as there have been risk factors associated with drinking vast amounts of overly-hot beverages.
I make it 1 1/2 gallons at a time and just keep it in a slim line dispenser with a spigot in the fridge. I scaled the recipe for this post down to 1/2 gallon.
As with most things, I don't like it overly sweet, but obviously the sugar amount can be adjusted to suit individual taste. On that note, I completely forgot to add the sugar to a batch a few weeks ago, and sent it that way to work with my hubby. He didn't hate it and still drank it, but he said it was "bland". hehe
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| The attractive natural red color of the hibiscus is chock full of powerful anthocyanins. |
As it has been offered to guests over the years, I keep getting more and more requests for the recipe. I digress a little here from my usual local, homegrown focus - but it's worth it. I had no idea how good this stuff was for our bodies (aside from feeling great) until I did some further research a few months back. Can I just say, WOW!!! I'm including more info on that here after the recipe for those interested in the nutritional and health benefits. *It should be noted that there have arisen some concerns about residual carbon due to the common practice of smoking the yerba mate to cure it, and some operations are switching to an air drying method of curing. It is also thought by some to be best enjoyed cold as opposed to the traditional style of drinking it with super hot water from a gourd as there have been risk factors associated with drinking vast amounts of overly-hot beverages.
I make it 1 1/2 gallons at a time and just keep it in a slim line dispenser with a spigot in the fridge. I scaled the recipe for this post down to 1/2 gallon.
As with most things, I don't like it overly sweet, but obviously the sugar amount can be adjusted to suit individual taste. On that note, I completely forgot to add the sugar to a batch a few weeks ago, and sent it that way to work with my hubby. He didn't hate it and still drank it, but he said it was "bland". hehe
Ingredients: Makes 1/2 gallon
1/2 gallon water (2 quarts)
1/4 cup dried, cut hibiscus flower (if you have whole flowers, cut them or crush them before measuring) *see more names for it down below, if you have a hard time finding it.
1/2 cup dry, loose yerba mate (air-dried, un-smoked is best)
1/2 cup organic evaporated cane juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar (like Bragg's) or lemon juice
Procedure:
Bring the water to a boil. Add the hibiscus and boil rapidly for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the yerba mate. Stir well. Cover the pot and allow to steep for at least an hour. I like to go 2 hours or more.
Add the sugar to a bowl with a pouring spout and strain the liquid into it. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Discard the solids. Set the mixture aside where it can remain undisturbed and allow it to settle for about an hour. There will be sediment that settles in the bottom from both the hibiscus and the yerba mate.
Being careful not to disturb the sediment at the bottom, slowly pour the tea into whatever storage vessel you will be keeping it in, in the fridge. Discard the sediment.
Add the vinegar or lemon juice, and enough water (if necessary) to bring it back to 1/2 gallon total; stir well. Refrigerate to thoroughly chill. You can pour some over ice to enjoy immediately if you like!
About the ingredients:
Yerba mate is from Central and South America and has been used for centuries by indigenous people there. It isn't a true tea, but from a tree in the holly family. It has to be cured for about 1 year before it can be used. Some varieties have a slightly smoky nuance to them as they are dried over charcoal. Air-dried is becoming more in-demand due to concerns over health risks associated with consuming carbon. I buy the yerba mate in bulk, online. It can be very pricey otherwise (if you can even find it). In the past, I have been able to find it at a reasonable price in stores that cater to Latino customers - I have found it in a couple of carnicerias. I was buying the smoked 3 kilos at a time: Click here for the link to buy smoke-cured mate online. Now I've switched to an air-dried variety: Click here for the link to the un-smoked variety.
The hibiscus is specifically known in Latin as Hibiscus sabdariffa and is native to West Africa. Other places around the world is is known as roselle or rosella; and in Mexico it is known as jamaica (pronounced ham-eye-cuh). In Iran, it is known as sour tea. You can find it in most stores that cater to Mexican clientèle, but if you ask for hibiscus, they won't have a clue what you are asking about. Ask for flor de jamaica and pronounce it correctly, and you can save some money. I now also buy it online. This is the most consistently high quality source I have found online: Click here for the link to buy online.
Evaporated cane juice is a form of sugar that hasn't been genetically modified and refined to the extent that white sugar has. Although I should note that unless it is organic, chances are it was sprayed with an herbicide toward the end of it's crop cycle to speed up ripening (much like they do with much non-organic wheat). If it isn't cane sugar, it is now most likely from GMO sugar beets. That means that it has been genetically modified to tolerate spraying with an herbicide meant to kill weeds without killing it. I've been happy to see Costco offering their brand of organic evaporated cane juice in 10 lb bags for under $10. That is what we use around here.
Health benefits:
I promised to expound upon the health benefits of yerba mate. There has been a lot more research done lately here are a few links:
Here is more info on the hibiscus:
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