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Latin-Style Tamarind Syrup

1 cup

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound dried tamarind pods, with their shell
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

To Prepare

  • Remove the outer pod from the tamarinds, discard, and place the pulp in a bowl. Cover them with 2 cups boiling water and let them sit anywhere from 2 to 24 hours.
  • With your hands, clean then tamarinds of the large seeds and strains/threads. Strain in a colander, pressing with your hands or a spoon to get as much pulp as possible.
  • Place the resulting tamarind juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, add the sugar, and let it simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. The juice should have thickened considerably, to a thick syrup consistency.
  • Squeeze in the fresh lime juice, let it simmer for a couple more minutes and let it cool. Refrigerate and store in a tight lid container. The concentrate will keep for months.