While hibiscus are cherished for their stunning summer blooms with exotic flair, their flowers boast even more advantages. They are used in cooking to enhance dishes, make herbal teas, and in the recipe for the famous bissap juice, a much-loved beverage widely consumed in Africa.

They also possess numerous medicinal properties, believed to have been harnessed since antiquity.

Here are our tips for properly drying hibiscus flowers: selecting flowers, easy drying methods, storage, and usage.

Edible Hibiscus Varieties

The hibiscus typically used in cooking and with the most flavour is the sabdariffa species. Traditionally, it's this West African hibiscus, known as bissap (or Guinea sorrel), that's used to make the namesake drink.

Highly sensitive to cold, it cannot tolerate freezing temperatures and must be grown in pots in our latitudes to overwinter it safely indoors.

Flowers from other hibiscus species, such as syriacus or rosa-sinensis, are also edible. However, they are less flavourful, which is why their use is mainly reserved for therapeutic purposes.

Hibiscus sabdariffa

Picking Hibiscus Flowers for Drying: Which Parts to Harvest?

Hibiscus typically blooms from July to October, so this is when the flowers should be harvested. Two parts of the hibiscus flower can be dried: the petals and the fruit.

The flowers are notably ephemeral: their lifespan is very short, averaging just one day. Harvesting should therefore be done early after blooming, ideally in the morning once the dew has evaporated, on a dry and sunny day.

When the flower falls after wilting, only a bright red fruit 15–20 mm in diameter remains on the stem: the calyx. Traditionally, it's this part of the plant, far more flavourful than the petals, that's used to make bissap.

When the calyx is ready for harvest, it detaches easily from the pedicel (flower stem).

How to Dry Hibiscus Flowers

Drying the Petals

Washing with water may damage the flowers and make drying more difficult. Once picked, simply place them on a flat surface covered with a cloth for a few minutes. The absence of light will drive away any small insects hiding in the flowers.

  • Gently detach the petals.
  • Arrange them on a baking tray, ensuring they don’t overlap.
  • Dry in the oven at 50°C (or the lowest possible temperature) for a few minutes.

A dehydrator or solar dryer can also be used.

Once dried, the petals can be ground into powder using a mortar or food processor, or stored whole.

Drying Hibiscus petals

Drying the Fruit

Drying the calyx takes longer and is slightly trickier, as the fruits are fleshy. The main challenge is ensuring they dry before rotting, which is why sun-drying on racks is best suited to regions with hot, dry summers (or during heatwaves).

Drying can also be done in a conventional oven at low heat for a few hours or in a dehydrator.

Once dried, the fruit becomes hard and brittle, ready for storage.

Drying Hibiscus calyxes

How to Store Dried Hibiscus Flowers

Once dried, hibiscus petals and calyxes can be stored for several months at room temperature in a dry, dark place.

Store the dried hibiscus flowers in an airtight container, a tightly sealed paper bag, or a zip-lock bag to preserve their full flavour.

Using Dried Hibiscus Flowers

Dried hibiscus flowers can be used in many culinary ways, in both savoury and sweet dishes: sauces, jams, syrups, herbal teas, tarts, desserts, cocktails, etc.

Dried petals also work beautifully to garnish dishes and salads or as table decorations.

Hibiscus Flower Tea

Hibiscus tea is as simple to prepare as it is delicious, offering a balance of tangy, floral, and fruity flavours.

  • Add a teaspoon of petals to a cup of boiling water.
  • Steep for 5 minutes.
  • Strain to remove the faded petals.

This infusion can be enjoyed hot or cold, 3–4 times a day.

To mellow the tangy taste, you can add other herbs, raspberry leaves, cinnamon, ginger, or even small pieces of strawberry.

Dried hibiscus tea is known as Karkade in Egypt

Bissap Juice Recipe

Bissap is a red, fruity drink best served chilled for a truly refreshing effect.

Ingredients for 1L of drink:

  • 200g dried hibiscus flowers
  • 125g sugar
  • 1 sachet vanilla sugar

In some African countries, bissap is also flavoured with mint leaves.

  • Bring 1L of water to a boil.
  • Add the dried calyxes and simmer for about 20 minutes. The water will turn purple or garnet.
  • Let cool before straining.
  • Add the sugar and stir well.
  • Pour into a clean bottle and refrigerate.

Enjoy at any time of day.

The Benefits of Hibiscus Flowers

Hibiscus is rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and minerals, giving it many beneficial properties:

  • remineralising
  • tonic
  • diuretic
  • sedative, relaxing
  • mild laxative
  • anti-inflammatory

Hibiscus flowers are believed to help with digestion, blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, kidney stones, urinary infections, menstrual pain, and water retention.

The petals are mainly used for their mucilage: their emollient properties (which relax tissues) help soothe the throat in cases of cough or sore throat.