Fall in the Carolinas is more than pumpkins on porches and apples in the market bins. It’s the time that local edible hibiscus blossoms (best known as roselle) come into season. Those little crimson blooms are just starting to show up at area farmers markets like little jewels of autumn. Farmers say the 2025 crop is coming in strong. Keep reading to learn to cook with local hibiscus or roselle and up your sweet and savory favorites game this season.

In a hurry? Not to worry… Click here to learn how to make Candied Hibiscus OR Learn how to Dry Fresh Hibiscus Here

In Charlotte NC, Here’s Where to Shop Locally

In the Charlotte area, you can source the local harvest from my friends Sarah Jane and Jamie at A Way of Life Farms from Bostic NC; and from Mike and Janice Fine at Seven Sisters Farm in Denton NC. Both farms sell on Saturdays in Charlotte. A Way of Life is in Building A at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, while Seven Sisters is at the Uptown Farmers Market. If I come across any other farmers selling fresh roselle this season, I’ll be sure and let you know.

Ruby Red Roselle is one of my Fall Favorites

And, like the rest of the seasonal offerings you’ll find at local markets, these edible blooms are just begging to be taken home and played with in the kitchen. If you’ve only ever seen “hibiscus” listed as a dried tea bag ingredient, prepare to have your mind (and your taste buds) expanded. And, please keep reading, because I’m going to share how to DIY your own hibiscus tea later in this post! Cooking with hibiscus or roselle means tapping into one of the most colorful, versatile parts of the season.

How Does A Roselle Garden Grow?

The answer is: pretty much the same way okra plants grow.

This photo is a close up of a roselle plant at A Way of Life Farm in Bostic NC.

Here’s a fun FAQ.

These hibiscus or roselle blossoms are actually related to okra, another terrific and very versatile early fall crop that grows in 100’s of different varieties.

It might be more correct to say that both okra and roselle are edible members of the hibiscus family. Roselle is also sometimes called Jamaican Sorrel or a Florida Cranberry. Like cranberries, you can eat the roselle raw; but its pretty sour. When you candy it or simmer and steep it for tea, the taste mellows a bit and it becomes more palatable.

Take a look at this field of roselle growing this season at Seven Sisters Farm in Denton NC. These small hibiscus flowers are a pale pink. The edible “buds” are actually the fruit of the plant. The part we can eat, that is, the red almost waxy petal portion that grows around a firm green seed, is called the calyx.

For comparison, this is a field of okra dotted with yellow flowers that look just like the hibiscus blooms. Again, this was taken at Seven Sisters Farm. Both plants have their roots in Africa, but now roselle – and okra, too – can be found around the world.

Here’s the How To for Candied Hibiscus or Roselle

One of my favorite ways to showcase these beauties is by candying them; yes, you can turn fresh hibiscus flowers into glossy, ruby-red treats perfect for cocktails, mocktails, and desserts. It’s surprisingly easy once you know the trick.

• Step 1: Start with fresh, local blooms
  Your best bet is to grab roselle hibiscus straight from a local farmer or market. Dried blossoms won’t candy the same way. For this recipe you want those fresh, fleshy petals. You can just tear the red petals off of the green seed pod in the center of the bloom; and then continue on to candy the petals. But, for more of a statement, you’ll want to cut the crown of petals off of the seed.
• Step 2: Prep the blossoms
  Use a small paring knife to slice off the bottom of each flower, then pop out the firm green seed hiding inside. Sometimes a chopstick can help with this step. What you’re left with is a crown of deep red petals that will become this sweet sticky treat.

• Step 3: Give them their spa moment
  Rinse the petals in cool water with care. This is their time to shine.
• Step 4: Make a simple syrup
  In a saucepan, combine 2 cups water and 1 ½ cups sugar. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, bring it up to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
• Step 5: Candy time
  Slip the hibiscus petals into the simmering syrup and let them lounge for about 10 minutes. They’ll soften, soak up the sweetness, and transform into glossy little gems.
• Step 6: Cool & store
  Remove from the heat and allow everything to cool. Transfer the blossoms and their ruby syrup to a glass jar, cover, and store in the fridge.

Say Cheers to Garnishing Cocktails with Candied Hibiscus & Roselle

Now you’ve got candied hibiscus petals and a gorgeous hibiscus syrup ready to stir into cocktails, mocktails, lemonade, sparkling water, or drizzle over ice cream and cakes.

While you are on my site, take a look at this delicious recipe for the cocktail pictured here. It’s made with James Creek Cider, a local hard apple cider crafted from Southern heirloom apples. Find the recipe for this delicious drink, called Harvest Moon, at the end of this post on how to cook with NC apples .

If you don’t want to candy all the hibiscus or roselle blossoms you buy this season, you can extend their life for months by drying the blooms. Then, keep them on hand in your pantry to make tea, or to add a pinkish hue to any liquid or condiment. Once again, the drying process starts with fresh local blooms.

How to Dry Your Own Hibiscus or Roselle Blossoms

• Step 1: Harvest or buy fresh blossoms
  Choose bright, deep red roselle. Make sure the petal-like part that surrounds the seed is firm and blemish-free.
• Step 2: Remove the seed pods
  Same way we did for candying; simply slice off the base of each flower and pop out the green seed. You only want the red petals for drying. The seeds and the base of the flower can go into the compost bin.
• Step 3: Pick your drying method, by using one of the techniques listed below. They all work well, it just depends on the time you have to spend on the project.

Four Ways to Dry Hibiscus or Roselle

• Air drying (low-tech, lots of patience): Spread petals in a single layer on a screen or parchment-lined tray. Put them out in the warm sun ( and cover them with some sort of screening to keep insects out but still let air in. Or keep them in a warm, dry, well-ventilated spot inside. This method can take up to a couple of weeks.
• Oven drying (faster): Place petals on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Dry in the oven on the very lowest setting, leaving the oven door cracked slightly. Check every 30 minutes until the hibiscus or roselle petals are crisp, usually 3–4 hours.
• Dehydrator (the pro move): Arrange petals in a single layer on dehydrator trays. Dry at 95–115°F for 8–12 hours, until brittle.
• Microwave (small-batch hack): Sandwich petals between two layers of paper towel and place them on a microwave-safe plate. Heat in short bursts (30–40 seconds at a time) until petals are crisp and dry. Depending on the power of your microwave, this usually takes 2–3 minutes total.

• Step 5: Test for doneness
  Once completely dry, the petals should feel crisp and snap cleanly and crisply when bent. If you have any damp spots, they are not done yet. Finished petals need to be completely dry, or they will mold in pretty short order. Once dry, you can keep them whole, or crumble them for easier storage if you would like.
• Step 6: Store properly
  Cool completely, then store in airtight glass jars or tins, away from light and heat. Properly dried hibiscus can last up to a year.
• To Make Hibiscus Tea from Dried Hibiscus, simply, crumble the dried flowers and place in cheesecloth bags to make your own DIY teabags.

Fresh Hibiscus Tea

Want to Pumpkin Spice it up?

Not in the mood for sweets? Hibiscus also makes a refreshing, tangy tea. Here’s how to brew it from fresh petals.

Pro Tip: Short on Time for Tea?

To make brewing fresh hibiscus tea even easier. While you do want to remove the seed from the calyx or red petals when you candy the blossoms; you don’t have to remove it to make fresh hibiscus tea. Simply plop the whole roselle into a pan of water and you are good to go.

Why Cook with Local Hibiscus?

Besides the obvious (they’re gorgeous!), hibiscus is a flavor powerhouse: tart, tangy, and floral all at once. You can make the DIY teabags from dried hibiscus, or steep a sachet of dried petals in warm milk for a bit, as you would for tea; then use the milk to make a lovely naturally pink custard.

Use the hibiscus tea as the liquid in cranberry sauce or other fruit chutney, jelly or jam recipes; or add a bit of sugar and gelatin to make a pretty in pink holiday dessert topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

You can enjoy the tea hot or iced as is, with honey, a wedge of lime or a slice of lemon. Or, a slice or two of fresh ginger can provide an extra zing and balance the tartness of the hibiscus. 

Pumpkin Spice it Up for the Season

You can also serve your hibiscus tea hot and “Pumpkin Spice” it up for the season.

“Pumpkin Spice” is really just a cozy blend of warming spices we already know and love. Here’s the classic lineup you’ll usually find in that mix:

• Cinnamon – the backbone, sweet and warming
• Ginger – adds a little zippy heat
• Nutmeg – warm, nutty, slightly sweet
• Cloves – strong, aromatic, a touch peppery

Some blends also sneak in a pinch of cardamom or even a bit of Chinese Five Spice Powder, which I personally love. To make it even healthier you can also add in turmeric. You’ll find my recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Spice, in the pumpkin packed blog post here.

Add any or all of these dried spices to your hot hibiscus tea or if you don’t want to make your own, buy them in this tasty blend from Spicewalla. Just a quarter teaspoon or so of Spicewalla’s Chai Masala spice blend does the trick.