I love to shop at our local supermercado, they have a wide selection of produce and great prices, but also many new foods we don’t usually see in US stores. While I’ve tried (and loved) many new foods, I’ve always wondered about “Tamarindo” pop. I have no idea what it is or what it tastes like, so I was hesitant to give it a shot.

Today’s Summer Block Party host is Leanna of All Done Monkey and she’s going to tell us a little bit about Tamarind, Tamarind Pop, and two different ways to make it.

It amazes me how many foods exist out there in the world that we haven’t even heard of. I can’t wait to try this one out!

Want an alternative to lemonade? How about another refreshing summertime drink, made from a fruit you have probably never heard of?

When I lived in Bolivia years ago, I had a hard time adjusting to the sweltering heat. Unlike in the US, most homes and buildings in Bolivia are not air-conditioned, and so in the really warm months there is little escape from the summer heat, even indoors.

Although I did learn some tricks from friends on how to beat the heat (such as dunking your head in cold water – feels so nice!), My favorite way to cool down was to enjoy a tamarindo pop. Every time we heard the tinkle of an ice cream cart’s bell, we would dash outside to enjoy these delicious frozen treats.

It is hard to imagine a more refreshing treat than juice from the tamarind fruit, and tamarindo pops always tasted so good they almost made the heat worth it, just so we could eat more. It is similar to lemonade, in that it is a sweet drink made from a tart fruit that really hits the spot when the weather turns warm.

Years later, when visiting my husband’s family in Costa Rica, I learned that tamarind juice is popular there as well, and I used to drink it by the gallonful (along with all the other wonderful fruit juices there).

To my delight, upon our return to the US, we found that we could buy tamarind at ethnic supermarkets, so now we can enjoy tamarind juice whenever we want! Now we tend to make it throughout the summer, as a delicious way to quench our thirst.

 

Making Tamarind Pop

There are two ways to make Tamarind Pop: the “quick and dirty” method and the boil ahead method.

You can start from scratch by buying the raw fruit in its seed pods, but if you want to save yourself the trouble of trying to peel the sticky fruit out of the dried shells, I recommend buying a package of prepared “wet” tamarind from an Indian or Mexican grocery store. While in Costa Rica, we easily found it at the Farmer’s Market!

 

The Quick and Dirty Method

This method takes less effort to throw together, but it results in a juice that needs to sit for longer before it is ready and will need to be strained before drinking. The exact amounts you use will vary depending on individual taste and the size of your pitcher, so have some fun experimenting to make different variations. The recipe below is as we make it in our house.

Ingredients

• One-third of 7 oz. package of “wet” tamarind
• Water to fill pitcher
• 1 cup sugar, or to taste

   

1. Place tamarind in a pitcher and add water.
It is not necessary to fill the pitcher; you may want to wait until later to adjust the strength to taste.

2. Let sit in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
You want the water to turn the color of iced tea

3. Add sugar to taste.
If you find the juice is too strong, add more water.

4. Strain before serving.
The tamarind concentrate will usually contain seeds and “strings” from the fruit.

The juice will continue to strengthen the longer the tamarind sits in the water, so if you are not planning on enjoying the juice right away, you will need to adjust the water and sugar before serving.

In our house, once we have almost finished the pitcher of juice, we find that the juice has strengthened enough that we can add more water and sugar for a few more glassfuls.

 

The Boil-Ahead Method

During our trip to Costa Rica this past month, I learned a new way to make this delicious drink. It takes a little more effort up front but involves less work in the end.

Ingredients (same as above)

• One-third of 7 oz. package of “wet” tamarind
• Water to fill pitcher
• 1 cup sugar, or to taste

1. Cover tamarind with water, boil until water turns dark brown
About 45 minutes to one hour. Be careful not to boil too long, as the juice will turn into a syrup. The syrup is still usable, but the juice won’t taste quite as as light.

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2.) Strain a small amount of the concentrated juice into a pitcher, and add sugar and water to taste.

I hope you enjoy this refreshing drink as much as we do! My little Monkey loves it, as do we.

Also be sure to try making the juice into popsicles for another great summertime treat!

Thanks Leanna for the new recipe, I’m less nervous about trying tamarind and want to try this out. 🙂

Have you heard of or tried Tamarind Pop?

What did you think of it?