This wonderful "Island" drink is vastly becoming one of my favorites. I have made the drink with several different options by adding cinnamon sticks, cloves, and blood orange, and it just gets better every time.
Ingredients:
Pineapple Skins from two Pineapples
Pineapple Meat
Whole Ginger Root
1 to 2 Pieces of Turmeric Root
2 oz. Dried Hibiscus Flowers
Half a hand full of Cloves (Optional)
2 to 4 Cinnamon Stick (Optional)
Agave or Coconut Sugar (Other natural sweeteners can be substituted)
Place pineapple skins (peels), cloves, and cinnamon sticks in 1 gallon of distilled or filtered water and boil (slow rolling boil) for 30 minutes in a stainless steel pot. Juice whole pineapple, ginger, and turmeric and set aside. Pulp from ginger, turmeric, and pineapple can be added to the pineapple skins if you like. Remove and strain the mixture through a stainless steel strainer to catch peels, and then through a sieve to catch pulp. Return the mixture to the stove, add hibiscus flowers, and simmer on low for another 30 minutes. Strain the mixture through the sieve two to three times to catch hibiscus flowers and any remaining pulp (I try to strain my mixture down until it runs cleanly through the sieve, and little to no pulp is visible). Stir in the juiced pineapple, ginger, and turmeric, and 1 cup of agave or your preferred natural sweetener. Set to cool or place in refrigerator to cool. Place in bottles once mixture is cool, and store in the refrigerator.
Tonic is great for inflammation, and circulation, helps to break up excessive mucus, helps to regulate blood pressure, is a great diuretic, channels vital force energy to cells, may soften tumors, can increase the feelings of joy and pleasure, helps with mental focus, cools the nervous system, and help revitalize the blood.