Start with picking flowers from the plant. Make sure to choose non-blemished and blooming ones.
Wash the flowers gently without damaging them with room-temperature water.
Now collect only the petals. Discard the stamen (includes anther and filament), calyx (the green base stem), pistil (thin thread-like tube in the middle of the flower) and pollen. Only petals are edible.
Boil water in a kettle or saucepan. Add the flower petals, and boil for 2 – 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let the tea steep for 10 – 15 minutes. Add the sweetener of your choice to the warm tea and mix nicely.
Later, strain the tea. To make the iced tea, add ice cubes in a serving glass, add lemon juice, wedges, and mint leaves. Pour the hibiscus tea into the serving glass, and stir to combine. Taste, and if required, add more sweetener.
Hibiscus Iced Tea is ready.