Agua De Tamarindo

A great way to use tamarind pods! A Mexican recipe adapted from Rick Bayless's book "Authentic Mexican". I have also discovered the tamarind is used throughout much of Africa! Now, having said that, tamarinds are also grown and widely popular in the tropics, so this could also be classed as a Caribbean recipe!

• Ready In: 10 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8  large  fresh  tamarind pods
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar (or more as desired)

Directions

1. Bring 1 quart of water to a boil then add the pods and the sugar and stir continuously while the mixture boils for one minute. Pour into a glass or stainless steel bowl and steep for about 2 hours. This time may be as little as 1 hour for very fresh pods and 2 1/2 hours for older pods.
2. Use your hand or a spoon and break up the softened pods to free the pulp and the seeds.
3. To finish:
4. Strain the mixture through a sieve pressing on the pod solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Taste for strength and sweetness. If it is too potent, add water or if too tart add more sugar. Cover and refrigerate until time to serve. Stir before serving.