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    Home » Recipes » Drink Recipes

    Sorrel Drink Recipe (Chicha de Saril)

    Published: Dec 23, 2020 by Nadja Belgrave · This post may contain affiliate links

    28 shares
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    This delicious and refreshing Sorrel Drink should be part of your Christmas or New Year's table. This recipe is quick and easy to make. You'll only need 3 ingredients without counting water. Give it a try!

    two glasses of sorrel drink

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Click to read my policy and more about affiliate links. 

    Sorrel (hibiscus) or “flor de jamaica,” known in other countries, is the main ingredient, and it's full of antioxidants.

    In Panama, we call it “Saril,” which comes from the Jamaican sorrel drink.

    Since I was little in my house, this drink is served for Christmas and New Year's Eve parties. If we went to another place, we carried it, and it was always a hit.

    As a child, my grandmother would make us peel it, and we always ended up with our hands painted red. Once my dad arrived with a 5-gallon bucket filled with flowers, you can imagine how long it took us to peel. 😂

    December is the month when you find it in greater quantity. In January and February, you can still find it in some places.

    In some countries, you can find dehydrated petals, and with that, they make the infusion.

    Some versions of this drink have cloves, cinnamon, other spices, and even lemon or orange peels.

    Today I'll share with you how we make this refreshing Caribbean recipe using fresh sorrel at home and some special tips.

    📋 Ingredients for the recipe

    To prepare this recipe, you will need fresh sorrel, ginger, and sugar. 

    In the recipe card below, you will have the complete measurements of each ingredient.

    brown sugar in a bowl, sorrel in a bowl and ginger

    Substitutions

    • Brown sugar: You can use white sugar or a sweetener of your choice. Some people have used honey. I haven't personally tried it, but let me know how you like it if you try.
    • Sorrel: use dehydrated ones if you can't find fresh ones. I tend to freeze when I get fresh ones. See the tip below on how to do that.

    As for utensils, you will use a small knife, a large pot, a jug, a strainer, and a spoon to stir.

    Now that you have all the ingredients and utensils start with the preparation.

    📝 How to make the recipe? - Step by Step

    Preparation

    The preparation is simple. The first thing we are going to do is remove the seeds. For this, use a small knife.

    In one hand, you grab the sorrel, and on the other, the knife and cut the top until it comes off (you can watch the video for more detail). It looks like a hat.

    It may be a bit difficult to remove because some seeds are somewhat large, but it is just a matter of moving them to the sides, and voila.

    Make sure you're not cutting too high, either. That can make it challenging to get it out.

    Once you are done with them, wash the flowers with plenty of water to remove any dirt. Now put it aside.

    💡 Tip: Did you know that you can freeze sorrel? After peeling and washing, dry them well, and you can store them in Ziploc bags in the freezer for 3 months. If it's sealed correctly, it can last much longer.

    Cut a piece of ginger about 1” to 2” and peel it.

    The amount of ginger is to taste, but I have found that for this amount, a 1” piece of ginger is more than enough to give it the perfect touch for this amount of sorrel.

    Some people like that spice, others not much. So if it's the first time, add a little and then add more. You must taste the ginger!

    Cooking

    Step 1: In the large pot, place the sorrel, ginger, and approximately 8 cups of water. Make sure it covers completely. Place over medium heat until the water boils. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

    A pot filled with water, sorrel flowers and ginger.

    You can also do this by putting the ginger with the water in the pot and letting it come to a boil. Once it boils, carefully add the sorrel. Lower the flame to medium heat, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

    Step 2: Turn off the stove, let it cool, and then strain it. Wait for about 10 minutes to cool.

    After 10 minutes, in a large bowl, place the strainer, and with the spoon or a cup, strain in batches. Repeat until you finish with everything you have in the pot.

    A large bowl with a sift.

    💡 Tip: If you see that the leaves are still red, you can add more water to the pot to extract more.

    Step 3: To sweeten it, add water to lighten the liquid. At the moment, it is like a concentrate with a somewhat strong flavor.

    Start by adding 1 cup of water, and you go testing. For this amount, I used two and a half cups of water.

    Then proceed to sweeten to taste. It should be sweet but not like syrup. You can use between 1 to 2 cups of sugar.

    This amount makes about 3 liters of sorrel. Store in the fridge once it's cooled. It'll last about a week.

    You can serve it with ice or cold. It's ready to enjoy!

    ✅ Recipe Tips

    • You can double or reduce the recipe easily.
    • You can make it ahead of time so you can refrigerate it, and it's ready to drink on the day off.
    • It should be served very cold, and it goes well with Christmas meals (Ham, or turkey)
    • You can add wine to it for a delicious adult-only drink or even create a rum punch.
    What if the sorrel drink is too spicy?

    You will have to add water to compensate for the taste. If you have more sorrel, you can make a little more infusion and add it to dilute it.

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    If you tried the Sorrel Drink recipe or any other recipe on Nashi Food, don't forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! We love knowing about your cooking experience.

    Sorrel Drink Recipe

    two glasses of sorrel drink
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes
    This delicious and refreshing Sorrel Drink should be part of your Christmas or New Year's table. This recipe is quick and easy to make. Give it a try!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time25 minutes mins
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: Caribbean, Panamanian
    Servings: 12 glasses
    Calories: 112kcal
    Author: Nadja Belgrave
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound fresh sorrel (roselle) or frozen
    • 8 cups water
    • 1 inch piece of ginger, adjust to liking (you can use more if desired)
    • 1⅓ cups brown sugar

    Utensils

    • a small knife
    • a large pot
    • a jug
    • a strainer
    • A spoon

    Instructions

    Prep

    • The first thing we are going to do is remove the seeds. In one hand, you grab the sorrel and with the other the knife and cut the top until it comes off.
    • Once you are done with all of them, then wash the flowers with plenty of water, trying to remove any dirt they have. Now put it aside.
    • Cut a piece of ginger about 1” to 2” and peel it.

    Cooking

    • In the large pot, place the sorrel, ginger, and approximately 8 cups of water. Make sure it covers completely. Place over medium heat until the water boils. Let it simmer for 15 minutes.
    • Turn off the stove and let it cool a bit and then strain it, for about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, place the strainer, and with the spoon or a cup, strain the liquid. Repeat until you finish with everything you have in the pot.
    • Now, to sweeten it, start adding water to lighten the liquid. At the moment, it is like a concentrate with a somewhat strong flavor. Start by adding 1 cup of water, and taste it. For this amount, I used two and a half cups of water.
      Then proceed to sweeten to taste. It should be sweet but not like a syrup. You can use between 1 to 2 cups of sugar.
    • Refrigerate until cold. Serve and enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    Brown sugar: You can use white sugar or a sweetener of your choice. Some people have used honey. I haven't personally tried it, but let me know how you like it if you try.
    Storage:  Once it’s cold, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for a week.
    • What if you added more ginger, and it’s too spicy? You will have to add water to compensate for the taste. If you have more sorrel, you can make a little more infusion and add it to dilute it.
    • You can double or reduce the recipe.
    • You can make it ahead of time so you can refrigerate it.
    • You can add wine to it for a delicious adult-only drink.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Sorrel Drink Recipe
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 112
    % Daily Value*
    Sodium 17mg1%
    Potassium 111mg3%
    Carbohydrates 28g9%
    Sugar 24g27%
    Vitamin A 108IU2%
    Vitamin C 5mg6%
    Calcium 106mg11%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    Hola! I'm Nadja

    I'm the writer, recipe developer, and photographer behind Nashi Food. I share Panamanian & Latin recipes made EASY, so you can fit them into your busy schedule ~ even when it's just 2 people!

    More about me here

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Destiny Johnson

      December 28, 2022 at 9:02 pm

      Hola! Can you use dried sorrel for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Nadja Belgrave

        December 31, 2022 at 8:28 am

        Hola Destiny! I haven't tried it, but you must be able to use dried ones since you can use them to make regular teas. You can let it steep for longer, for about 40 minutes. Let me know how it goes.

        Reply

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    Hola, I'm Nadja! I'm the writer, recipe developer, and photographer behind Nashi Food. I share Panamanian & Latin recipes made EASY, so you can fit them into your busy schedule ~ even when it's just 2 people! I will make sure that You can still enjoy the Latin food you love and connect with.

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