Hibiscus Sangria™
As seen on the Sonoran Living program.

This is a nice twist on a refreshing hot weather favorite. This may be made with wine or without with equally good results. Even with the wine, the recipe has a low percentage of alcohol!

The hibiscus tea gives this sangria its beautiful magenta color as well as a good dose of vitamin C and bioflavonoids. I am using tropical juices to really set this sangria apart from all the rest. Hibiscus Sangria would be a great accompaniment to spicy foods of Latin America and Southwestern cuisine. Enjoy!

Ingredients: Makes about 13 cups liquid and about a gallon with the fruit added.

Non-alchohlic version also works great.

1/8 cup	Hibiscus Flowers, dried, from herb store (not your back yard)
3 1/2 cups	filtered water
40 - 45 drops	liquid stevia* ( sweeten to taste)
3 cups	white wine (or for non-alcohol option use more hibiscus tea or skip all together)
4 cups	guava juice
2 cups	pineapple juice
1 cup	mango juice
	garnish with fresh fruit such as sliced mango, fresh pineapple, oranges and frozen grapes

* Stevia is a plant that is VERY sweet and the Stevia liquid is made from the plant. It is an excellent natural sweetener that has no calories and will not spike blood sugar. It is an excellent sweetener for diabetics and children as well as all the rest of us, for that matter! I love it particularly in iced tea. You can find it at any health food store.

Directions:

Make Hibiscus Tea by bringing 3 cups of water to a simmer. Add dried hibiscus flowers to water and turn off heat. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain the tea into a pitcher and sweeten with stevia to taste. Refrigerate overnight until ready to use.

Put all other ingredients in the refrigerator to chill as well. If you are using frozen grapes for ice, wash those and lay them out in single layer on cookie sheet to freeze. The grapes can be stored in Ziploc bags in freezer for several weeks if desired.

To assemble the Hibiscus Sangria for serving:

In a gallon container, put the sweetened hibiscus tea, the wine, and all the juices in and stir well. Taste and adjust juice and wine amounts if desired.

Cut up fresh fruit and put into mixture. Serve over frozen grapes mixed with ice cubes. Garnish with fresh mint and/or fresh fruit.

Enjoy!