Tamarind Jam

ZWT7 South & Central America. You may use this on toasted bread with butter which tastes very good says the poster at http://www.coffeeandvanilla.com. The tamarinds of India have longer pods containing 6-12 seeds, whereas African and West Indian versions have short pods containing 1-6 seeds. Fruit of the South American tamarinds are identical to the original African variant.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 2-3
• Yields: 2-3 medium jars

Ingredients

• 500  g  tamarind pods (sweet is specified, regular tamarind is better if you like more of a sour flavour, says the original)
• 6  cups water (or a little bit more)
• 1 1⁄2 cups  golden caster sugar or 1 1⁄2 cups honey, for more subtle sweetness
• 1  dash ground cloves (optional)

Directions

1. Peel tamarind, place in a pot over low/medium fire, add water and sugar or honey and ground clove if using and cook for about an hour and half.
2. Add a little bit more water if needed.
3. Optionally press through the strainer to remove seeds, then place in the jars and close immediately.
4. Store in the refrigerator.