Hibiscus Rose Jelly with Lemon and Vanilla

Hibiscus Rose Jelly with Lemon and Vanilla is a quick, small-batch recipe for an elegant, unusual, and delicious jelly. It’s easy and inexpensive to make at home and takes only about a half-hour to get it into jars.

Hibiscus Rose Jelly is Delicious and Healthy

Hibiscus is incredibly healthy. It’s chock full of antioxidants. The color of this jelly is just beautiful. It’s ruby red and is glorious with sun shining through it. 

I get one-pound bags of dried hibiscus flowers. This is my favorite kind … the flavor is just amazing – tart and fruit. And a pound is a lot … it lasts us for a couple of months or more. I prefer the flowers over the cut and sifted. They seem less processed. But the cut and sifted are lovely as well. For the purposes of this recipe, hibiscus tea will work also. 

Just a tiny hint of rose water makes this feel like summer without tasting like soap. Rose water is just like what it sounds like, it’s rose flavored and rose-scented water. Used sparingly, it adds a delightful elegance. It’s often used in Middle Eastern dishes, most notably Turkish Delight. This sweet-smelling and unusual culinary addition is not terribly expensive however, a little bit goes a long way. It’s fairly easy to find at most larger groceries. Click the photo below to get some at Amazon if you can’t find it locally.

Pectin for Hibiscus Rose Jelly

This is the exact pectin I used in this recipe. You can use your favorite or whatever is available at your local grocery. If the directions on your pectin are different, follow them for good results. 

There really is no need to process this unless you’re going to give it as a gift or want to keep it for more than a few weeks. For one thing, it’s a small batch, it’s delicious, and it’s not going to last long! It’s also full of sugar which goes a long way to preserve this. This is safe to just pour into cleans jars and store in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks.  

Finally, a bit of vanilla, one of the most complex spices around, makes the flavor of this fruity, tart, sweet jelly even more interesting and gives it almost woody flavor. I make my own vanilla powder by grinding air-dried vanilla beans in a spice grinder. Like this:

However, vanilla powder is also available fairly inexpensively, like this one from Amazon. If you can’t get vanilla powder, simply add a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract in place of it.

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Hibiscus Rose Jelly with Lemon and Vanilla

Hibiscus Rose Jelly with Lemon and Vanilla is a quick, small-batch recipe for an elegant, unusual, and delicious jelly. It's easy and inexpensive to make at home and takes about a half-hour to get it into jars.

Course Condiment

Cuisine Vegan

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

cool 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1/3 cup hibiscus petals or dried hibiscus tea
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 pkg pectin
• 3/4 tsp rose water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla powder

Instructions

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, boil the water and steep the hibiscus petals or tea for about 15 minutes. Strain and put the tea back into the saucepan. Add the sugar and bring to a boil again.

2. Let the tea and sugar mixture boil on medium to medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add the pectin and continue to boil and stir for another 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and allow to cool just a bit, Stir in the rose water, lemon juice, and vanilla powder.

5. Pour into pint jars and place the lids on. Let sit, undisturbed, for at least 24 hours to allow the jelly to set up.

6. Store in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Recipe Notes

This recipe can be doubled or tripled with no further adjustments. Simply double or triple all ingredients and follow the same directions.

If making larger quantities, either refrigerate your full jars or can them using a 10-minute water bath method. 

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XOXO 

Lisa

Lisa V Gotte

Hello! I’m Lisa, a vegan artist, photographer, author, Vegan Life Coach Educator, and RYT 200 yoga teacher. I love showing others how simple and delicious a plant-based diet can be. I draw and paint, cook, write, take lots of pics, eat lots of chocolate, and practice gratitude daily.