Homemade Sorrel Jam Recipe

This homemade sorrel jam is a deep red, tangy spread made by simmering 2 cups of dried sorrel (hibiscus) flowers with cinnamon, cloves and ginger, then setting the strained liquid with 2 ½ cups of sugar, orange juice, zest and powdered pectin. It takes about 55 minutes and makes 3 cups.

It tastes like the sorrel drink a Jamaican friend introduced me to years ago: sharp, floral and warm with spice, only thick enough to spread on toast. The step that matters most is the cold plate test at the end.

Which Sorrel? Hibiscus Flowers, Not the Leafy Herb

The sorrel in this recipe is the dried red calyx of the roselle plant, Hibiscus sabdariffa. In Jamaica and across the Caribbean it is called sorrel. In Mexican shops it is flor de Jamaica, and tea shelves label it hibiscus. All three are the same thing and all work here.

Garden sorrel, the lemony green leaf used in soups, is a different plant entirely. It will not give you this color or this jam, so check the bag says dried flowers or calyces.

Is This Sorrel Jam or Sorrel Jelly?

Strictly speaking, it sets like a jelly. The flowers are simmered and strained out, so the jar holds a clear, glossy ruby spread with no pieces in it. Most people call it sorrel jam anyway, and so do I. If you want something chunkier, you can chop a few of the softened petals and stir them back in before the pectin, though the texture will be chewier.

What Goes Into One 3 Cup Batch

• Flowers and liquid: 2 cups dried sorrel flowers and 3 cups water
• Spices: 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, ½ tsp ground ginger
• Sweet and citrus: 2 ½ cups granulated sugar, ½ cup fresh orange juice, 1 tbsp orange zest
• Set: 1 tbsp powdered pectin
• Optional color: 1 small beet, peeled and chopped
• Time: 10 minutes prep, about 45 minutes on the stove

Hibiscus is very tart on its own. That natural acid is what helps pectin set, which is why there is no lemon juice in the list. The beet is a trick my father taught me for a darker red; a small one deepens the color without making the jam taste earthy.

Steeping the Hibiscus With Cinnamon, Cloves and Ginger

Rinse the dried flowers under cool water to wash off any grit. Bring the 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium stainless steel pot, add the flowers, cinnamon stick, cloves, ginger and the beet if you are using it, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. The liquid turns a dark, almost opaque ruby and smells like spiced tea.

Pour it through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl. Press the petals lightly to get the liquid out, but do not squeeze hard; that pushes fine pulp through and clouds the jelly. Hibiscus stains, so use a spoon and towel you do not mind turning pink.

Adding the Sugar, Orange and Pectin

Return the strained liquid to the pot. Stir in the sugar, orange juice and zest until the sugar dissolves, then bring it to a gentle boil, stirring now and then so nothing catches on the bottom.

Now the pectin. Sprinkle it over the surface in a slow rain while you whisk, rather than tipping it in all at once. Dumped pectin forms jelly lumps that never dissolve. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The jam darkens slightly, turns glossy, and the bubbles get bigger and slower.

The Cold Plate Wrinkle Test

Put 2 or 3 small plates in the freezer before you start cooking. To test, take the pot off the heat, drop a teaspoon of jam on a cold plate, wait 1 minute, then push the edge with your finger. Ready jam holds its shape and the surface wrinkles. If it runs back together, simmer a few more minutes and test again with a fresh plate. Remember it firms up more as it cools in the jar, so a soft wrinkle is enough.

Runny, Stiff or Brownish: Fixing a Batch

• Still runny after a day in the jar: it came off the heat too soon. My first runny batch was a rushed simmer. Pour it back into the pot, simmer a few minutes and repeat the plate test, or keep it as a syrup for drinks and pancakes.
• Too stiff to spread: it cooked too long. Warm a jar gently with a spoonful of orange juice or water and stir.
• Dull, brownish color: the jam boiled too hard or too long after the pectin went in. Keep that last simmer gentle.
• Cloudy: the petals were pressed hard in the sieve. It tastes the same; next time let gravity do more of the work.
• Too sweet or too sharp: the balance is set by the card amounts, so change flavor with the orange zest and spices rather than cutting the sugar, which also helps the jam set.

Jars, Fridge Life and Water Bath Canning

Ladle the hot jam into clean, sterilized jars, leaving about ¼ inch of headspace, seal and let them cool completely. Jars handled this way, without a water bath, are fridge jars: keep them refrigerated and use them within about 3 weeks.

For pantry jars that keep for months, process the filled, sealed jars in a boiling water bath, about 10 minutes for 8 ounce jars (longer at high altitude), and check that the lids have sealed once cool. Refrigerate any jar after opening.

How to Use Hibiscus Jam

Spread it on toast or warm sour cream scones, swirl a spoonful into yogurt or vanilla ice cream, or put it next to mild cheese and crackers, where the red looks striking. It also makes a bright filling for thumbprint cookies and linzer cookies, and a thin layer between sponge cake layers. Warmed with a splash of water, it brushes on as a glaze for roasted vegetables or ham.

Because sorrel is a Christmas drink in Jamaica, a jar fits right in with holiday gifts. If you are making a few kinds, look at spiced Christmas jam, cranberry and pomegranate jam, cherry amaretto jam and orange jam, or the full list of Christmas jam recipes.

Sorrel Jam Questions People Search

Can I use hibiscus tea bags instead of dried flowers?

Loose dried flowers give the strongest color and tartness, and the recipe is measured for 2 cups of them. Tea bags vary too much in strength to swap in reliably.

Can I make sorrel jam with fresh sorrel?

Yes, fresh red roselle calyces work too, with the green seed pod removed. Fresh calyces hold more water, so expect a longer simmer before the jam passes the plate test.

Do I have to use the beet?

No. It only deepens the red. Without it the jam is a bright ruby rather than dark crimson, and tastes the same.

Can I swap the spices?

Yes. Star anise instead of the cinnamon, or lemon zest instead of orange, both suit hibiscus. Keep the sugar, juice and pectin amounts the same so it still sets.