Sorrel Drink

Sorrel

Christmas is not Christmas in Trinidad without some sorrel. It’s the first ‘soft’ drink a Trini asks for after touching down in Piarco at Christmas. Here is a very simple recipe for sorrel that shouldn’t take more than 45mins (including cooling time).

Ingredients

1 pound of sorrel
11 cups of water
1 cup of sugar
5 cloves

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Method

Clean the sorrel to remove any old leaves and bugs that may have snuck in there
Separate the sepals from the seed by cutting a round circle just below the ‘spines’. Note: Don’t touch the seeds with your bare hands! There are some fine ‘hairs’ that will penetrate the skin and makes for a rather uncomfortable experience. You don’t want to be thinking about this while enjoying your sorrel
Wash thoroughly but not too vigorously
Place all ingredients except sugar in a tall pot. This is important as the mixture tends to froth and bubble up
Boil for approximately 20 minutes or until the sepals looks white-ish
Strain the mixture and add sugar to taste before it cools
Cool the mixture and enjoy a glass before bottling the rest!