Tamarind Juice Recipe

Last Updated April 1, 2024. Published April 1, 2024 By Charla 63 Comments

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Enjoy the wonderful benefits of this refreshing tamarind juice made from scratch and sweetened to taste along with a hint of ginger to tantalise your taste buds.

If you are looking for a drink that is refreshing with a tropical twist then tamarind certainly fits the bill. This drink will definitely quench your thirst on a hot summer's day.

Tamarind juice is perfect to accompany any dinner party or even prepare for that annual family BBQ.

What is tamarind?

In case you are not familiar with what tamarind is then let me explain. Tamarind is a brown seeded fruit in long pod with a hard brown shell.

The fruit is indigenous to Africa but cultivated in many tropical regions including Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean and Arabia.

From a health perspective, tamarind the actual fruit has excellent anti inflammatory/anti oxidant properties because it contains polyphenols.

Which can protect again cancer, diabetes and heart diease.

As it is a fibrous pulp with an abudance of vitamins (C,K and B) and minerals (namely magnesium, potassium and iron) this is excellent for aiding digestion, alleviating bowel movements thus relieving constipation.

Tamarind is a multi purpose fruit which is used in medicine, cooking, haircare, skincare and even used around the household (Source).

What is tamarind used for?

The pulp is used for culinary and medicinal purposes and plays a crucial role in Indian cuisines.

Ironically India is one of the biggest manufacturers of tamarind and with how prevalent the use of the fruit is, it's hard not to believe why.

In the Caribbean, Tamarind is referred to as Tamarindo by the Spanish speaking islands - Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

The English speaking Islands like Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados etc.. like to make a delicacy called Tamarind Balls.

The pulp is rolled into a small ball and coated with a dusting of sugar for sweetness.

It is also used to make paste, jam, curries or chicken dinner i.e Tamarind Chicken, chutney and or a sweet beverage.

a jug and a small glass of tamarind juice

What is tamarind Juice?

A very popular drink that is erved in the Caribbean and latin America

In short it is the liquid that is extracted from the fruit.

First, the pods need to be de-shelled to expose the fruit, once exposed warm/hot water is poured over the fruit and it is left to rest while the fruit begins to soften.

Once the fruit is soft, the liquid it can be transferred into a blender before been strained off and separated with the seeds which are discarded.

The juice is then sweetened to taste with any additional adds before being served.

Like most beverages, each person makes theirs to their own preference with various add ins etc..

What is the taste of tamarind?

Tamarind has a instinctive taste, it's almost like a juicy acidic sourness with a slight tangy sweetness.

Most people tend to sweeten tamarind which makes it more tolerant to use.

Do not be deterred by the description of the taste because tamarind juice is extremely tasty. If you like lemon or lime juice then tamarind juice will win you over.

Ingredients you need

Ingredients needed to make tamarind juice

Tamarind pods - you can purchase these ready and hand picked, they are using in a sealed box, fresh pods are always best as they make the best juice.
Warm water - this is used to soften the fruit once removed from the pods prior to putting in the blender.
Ginger - fresh ginger, about a thumb size amount (don't use powdered if possible) really balances out the flavour of the juice.
Vanilla - to optimse the taste
Sweetener - any sweetner will do, maple, coconut nectar, agave nectar preferably a liquid sweetener and not granulated.

Recipe preparation

To make tamarind juice from scratch you will need fresh tamarind pods or you can use a block of tamarind. To speed up the process of separating the pulp from the seeds.

I pulsed the pulp with water on very low speed in a blender. This is a much quicker method then leaving the pulp to soak overnight in warm water.

I also used a mesh cloth to squeeze the liquid from the pulp. If you don't own a mesh cloth, use a strainer or muslin cloth to strain the juice instead.

The steps

Use your fingers to crack the brown tamarind shells and remove the stalk from the pulp.(if you are using the blocks, simply break them down with your hands)
Place the pulp in a large heatproof bowl then carefully pour the warm water over the raw fruit.
Allow the tamarind to sit in the water for 10-20 minutes so it begins to soften.

Pour the contents of the bowl into a tall blender like a vitamix and also add fresh ginger now. Do this in batches if required to accommodate the volume of liquid.
On the lowest setting, pulse the tamarind for 15-10 seconds then gradually increase the speed for about 30 seconds so the seed separates from the pulp. The liquid will be dark cloudy brown hue and the seeds should settle at the bottom of the container. Repeat this step if necessary to ensure the seeds have pulled apart.

Pour the tamarind juice into a mesh/cheese cloth or sieve and squeeze and strain the remaining juice. Work in batches if need be and add 1-2 cups more of water if you want to increase the volume of juice.
Finally sweeten the juice to taste and add the vanilla then serve with ice.

Non blender version

Use your fingers to crack the brown tamarind shells and remove the stalk from the pulp (if you are using the blocks, simply break them down with your hands).
Place the taramind in a large bowl with the grated ginger.
Pour HOT water over the tamarind fruit, cover with plastic wrap and leave to soften overnight (the fruit will breakdown and the seeds will separate).
The next day, strain off the juice in a nutbag or cheesecloth (discard the seeds).
Sir in the vanilla and sweetener of your choice (to taste).

Where can I buy tamarind from?

You can purchase tamarind from most ethnic grocery store including Caribbean, African, Indian and Asian.

If you cannot obtain fresh tamarind pods (see picture) then use 3 small blocks of tamarind instead.

Can you use a jar of tamarind paste instead of the pods?

Yes, HOWEVER...if you are using tamarind that in the jar you want to double check the ingredients to make sure it doesn't contain any additional ingredients or this will impact the overall taste and texture.

A large about 400ml (14oz) and organic, around that amount is what you are looking for.

A close up of the tamarind juice in a glass

Notes and tips

Store the juice in a glass pitcher in the refrigerator, ready to drink
Consume the juice within 5 days of preparation.
If you don't have a high speed blender then follow the Non Blender Version of the recipe instead.
Use 2 blocks of tamarind or 1 large jar of organic tamarind paste (additive free, no other ingredients) if you cannot source fresh pods.
The taste. Tamarind is quite tart in taste, if you want a sweeter taste then add more sweetener. If you like a sour drink then use less sweetener or none at all
Don't forget to add some ice cubes to your drink.
For a different taste, why not use lime, cloves, nutmeg or cinnamon.
If you want your juice to be diluted or increase in volume add up to 2 cups more of water

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