Irish stew cooked in a slow cooker is the epitome of comfort food on a chilly day. There must be some advance planning. Don’t let the quantity of onion and garlic deceive you. Really, it’s not too much. Cheers!
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 35 mins |
| Additional Time: | 15 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr |
| Servings: | 16 |
| Yield: | 1 gallon |
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 2 cups dried hibiscus petals
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground allspice
- ½ cup chopped piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar cones)
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
Instructions
- Place 6 cups of water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir in the hibiscus petals, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. Reduce heat to medium-low, and gently simmer until the water has turned a deep red, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Stir the chopped piloncillo into the hibiscus water until dissolved, then set aside to cool 15 minutes. After cooling, strain the warm liquid into a 1 gallon pitcher through a wire mesh strainer. Squeeze as much liquid from the petals as you can, then discard the petals. Stir in the white sugar until dissolved, then pour in enough cold water to fill the pitcher. Serve immediately or let stand overnight for best taste.
- If you can’t find piloncillo, add the white sugar as directed and then sweeten to taste with brown sugar or additional white sugar.
Reviews
I thought this turned out nicely. I used 1½ cups organic cane sugar and none of the sugar cones. I used whole cloves instead of ground, and I used 2 large cinnamon sticks. I will try this again
Super tasty, making for the second time now without adjust sugar amounts, although I am tempted to add the sugar to the mix while it’s simmering… wouldn’t it dissolve better that way?
Very nice! I followed the recipe exactly for 1/2 yield. I may have used a little less cloves, nutmeg and allspice because 1/2 a pinch is subjective and I didn’t want the final drink to taste like a spice cake. Be careful brewing and mixing jamaica because anything it touches stains a beautiful ruby red color.
Loved this recipe i halved the cinnamon stick It was a Hit! Got a full pitcher for the price of a small drink
Loved it, it’s my go to. Thanks!
Not liking nutmeg – I eliminated it. I used 1 whole clove and 3 whole all spices. Not liking all the sugar – I used 1/3 as much. Guests, having never had it, were ‘tentative’ at first but really liked it – with chicken mole, calabacitas, frijoles negro, etc. with tres leches cake for dessert – all for Cinco de Mayo – 2019 . All good
I had forgotten my Mexican grandmother’s method of making agua de Jamaica, so I looked up the recipe online and was pleasantly surprised to find this one. Although this recipe is very different, I love the addition of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and piloncillo. I know my grandmother wouldn’t use any of those spices when making it, but she would love it this way, since it gives it so much more depth. I think I will continue to make it this way from now on. Her recipe was to add boiling water to the Jamaica (hibiscus leaves), let it steep, add sugar and then a squeeze of lemon.
Excellent recipe! It’s been especially hot his Summer and this is the perfect drink to cool off. I used 1 cup sugar instead of 1.5 cups. Loved it.
Thanks for the added tips to lighten the tartness from the tea. I wanted to keep from using sugar at this point to maximize the benefit from the tea, its blood pressure lowering and diabetic properties. Ill add honey to taste.
Delicious. The spices give it a lovely zing. I blended it with ice to make a slushy. Thank you for the recipe.
Love this recipe! My entire family loved it and drank the whole thing in 2 days! I added a little less sugar to make it tart too. I will definitely be making this again and recommending this recipe to others!
Delicious!
I have made this a few times and I love this stuff, but I have learned a thing or two along the way. I increase the water to 2 cups (some evaporates anyway), and reduce the white sugar in half. Also, run it through a sieve after adding the sugar to make sure you got all the large pieces out.It still comes out sweet and concentrated. Thanks for add this!!
We love this. I only put half-cup of white sugar and it’s fine. We also add lime juice you want that extra bit of tartness… it’s amazing!
love it!! this recipe is spot on. you could reduce the sugar, but not too much.
I used only organic raw cane sugar. Absolutely!
This drink is fabulous. I have a very similar recipe, but I tried this to rate. I used a little sugar for my taste. I want to say that this recipe is the best way to enjoy flor de Jamaica (sorrel or hibiscus). As I know, some people don’t like sorrel, because it seems too sour to their taste. But this way is the perfect balance between tartness, spices and sweet from sugar. I served this drink for the people who don’t like sorrel and after drinking they changed their opinion.
Deliciously refreshing.
it’s funny my mother always made this drink for us, we could not afford regular soda…..like anything that you make in the kitchen, you will find 1000 different versions of the same thing…. all of them to be equally appreciated…
I just made this and it is AMAZING. I altered it a little, because I didn’t have piloncillo. I also only used 3/4 c. of sugar (I’m not a huge fan of sweet drinks). Also, before I dumped some in my cup I squeezed 1/4 of a lime into my cup, put ice on top and then dumped the tea on top. It’s so yummy!
I love the spices suggested in this recipe! ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg really compliment this drink. I always add about 1/4 tsp ground clove and I don’t add water at the end, this gives it a really strong flavor and let’s who ever is drinking it to add water to their taste. I’m Irish and my Hubby’s Mexican and every time his friends come by the ask me to make it…. such a compliment! 🙂