Dried hibiscus flowers produce a lovely crimson-colored tea that makes an amazing refresher poured over ice on a summer day. It’s super tart (and packed with vitamin C). Here we mellowed it with watermelon and turned it into ice pops that are fun for kids and adults.
Makes about 6 ice pops.
Ingredients:
¼ cup dried hibiscus flowers (see Note)
2 ½ cups watermelon chunks (from about 1 ¼ pounds watermelon or ½ mini watermelon)
¼ cup raw agave nectar
½ teaspoon lime zest
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
In a small saucepan, bring ¾ cup water and the dried hibiscus flowers to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let stand until cool. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
In a food processor, blend the watermelon chunks until liquified. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with muslin into a pitcher; discard any solids. (You should have about 1 ½ cups watermelon juice.)
Stir the hibiscus water, agave nectar, and lime zest and juice into watermelon juice. Pour the juice mixture into ice pop molds and freeze until firm, about 7 hours.
Each Serving:
64 calories (kcal)
0 g fat
0 mg cholesterol
16 g carbohydrates
0 g dietary fiber
0 g protein
1 mg sodium
308 IU vitamin A
11 mg vitamin C
4 mg calcium
2 mg iron
Ingredient Note: You can buy dried hibiscus flowers (also known as sorrel) in Indian, Latin, Caribbean, and in Middle Eastern markets.
