My zobo lemonade recipe is part homemade hibiscus refresher and part superfood juice.
I'm a big fan of good-for-you drinks. From nutrient-dense smoothies to immune supporting tonics, there are several solid sips in the Dash of Jazz drinks archives and my zobo lemonade drink is the latest addition to the cool kids club. It's refreshing, flavorful, and packed with antioxidants. It's also a riff on the popular zobo tea from my father's homeland of Nigeria. Zobo, which translates to hibiscus from the Hausa language, is indigenous to West Africa and enjoyed throughout the African diaspara in many ways and under names including sorrel, roselle, and jamaíca. It's delicious in any language and very easy to make. Let's get into the details.
If you like unique lemonade recipes, try these, too.
Ingredients You'll Need
This superfood lemonade starts with a common Nigerian zobo drink recipe and adds fresh lemon juice and honey to make it...lemonade. I also throw some turmeric in there because, why not? Here are the lemon zobo drink ingredients:
- Dried Hibiscus Petals (Zobo)
- Water
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Clove
- Lemon Juice
- Honey
- Ice
You'll also need a small saucepan for this recipe. I like this pot for making zobo drinks because it has a strainer in the lid, which makes the process easy. Also make sure you have a cutting board on hand, as well as a sharp knife, and a sturdy pitcher--preferably with a sealing lid.
Tips for Making this Recipe
- Can I steep my zobo drink overnight? If you're familiar with sorrel drinks, you know the longer you let the ingredients steep, the stronger the flavor. The same applies here. You'll have great taste as soon as the water has cooled but can certainly steep for longer.
- What are the benefits of zobo tea? As I mentioned, the ingredients in this drink are full of antioxidants. It is truly a superfood drink with compounds thought to help lower blood pressure and promote a healthy liver. This spiced hibiscus lemonade has no refined sugar so it's a pretty clean way to hydrate, too.
- How long does this lemonade stay fresh? Although this recipe has plenty of anti-bacterial properties, you should try to consume it within two weeks. The flavor will last longer but I can't vouch for the safety of consuming it beyond that length of time. When bottled, zobo lemonade keeps for up to one year.
- How to store this drink? For best results, store your hibiscus lemonade in an airtight container in the fridge.
Down here in Texas, we're a month ahead of schedule temperature-wise, which means it's even hotter than it should be. So I'm making my Nigerian hibiscus lemonade all the time. I hope you'll do the same. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this lemonade recipe with health benefits on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
How to Make my Hibiscus Lemonade
Zobo Lemonade
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup dried hibiscus also called zobo, jamaica or sorrel
- 1 2-inch knob fresh turmeric
- 1 2-inch knob fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 4 ounces lemon juice
- honey to taste
- ice
Instructions
- Add water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil then remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, rinse and drain hibiscus. Add hibiscus, turmeric, ginger, and cloves to hot water and steep until water cools to room temperature (about 40 minutes).
- Strain liquid into a pitcher then stir in lemon juice and honey until dissolved.
- Serve over ice. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Keeps for up to two weeks.
Britney Brown says
I bought some hibiscus leaves over the weekend and made this recipe! It did not disappoint - so refreshing in this summer heat! We loved it!
Shanna Jones says
You had me at hibiscus! I love a "good for you" drink, and this recipe hit the spot. It was so refreshing! I'll be making this again.
Jen says
My Auntie is always mentioning how good zobo is I hadn’t tried it until now. It tasted delicious and the tips were also really helpful.
Tamara says
This lemonade was absolutely refreshing! It’s been so hot down here, along with all of the other allergy symptoms- this hit the spot! I instantly started feeling better from the healing properties in the drink!
Kaluhi says
A hit across the board!!! This was not only refreshing but super delicious as well! The color was also so gorgeous! Thanks for this recipe!
Chenée says
This is just what I needed on a hot day like today! And I love the ginger and turmeric to make it even more nourishing!
Jessica says
I always have hibiscus in the pantry for tea but haven't ventured out into making other drinks so I tried this lemonade. This was SO GOOD. Love the addition of cloves and using honey instead of sugar was perfect. Will be on repeat all summer long.
Taneisha says
I was looking for a good summer drink recipe that was full of antioxidants and I am so glad I cam across your recipe - it was delicious and everything I needed!! Thanks so much!!!
Chef Mireille says
I grew up drinking hibiscus tea as it is very common in the Caribbean also where we call it sorrel. However, we spice it up a bit different. Now that hibiscus has become so popular and there are so many different versions around, I wanted to switch it up a bit. I really liked this version with the lemon. Now it's hard for me to decide which version I like best!
Lilly says
This drink is so delicious and refreshing! The instructions are super easy to follow and my Zobo Lemonade turned out perfect!
Marta says
I love hibiscus drinks and yours being healthy was a great find. The roots and cloves gave it an awesome, deep flavor. So refreshing!
Mila says
5 stars! This is so close to my family's Sorrel recipe - even better I'd say! I love the spices, and the tang of the hibiscus tea! It's so refreshing, ESPECIALLY with a likkle splash of rum :).