tamarind liquid

Well, let me tell ya about this tamarind liquid thing. I ain’t no fancy cook, but I know a thing or two about good stuff in the kitchen. My grandma, she used to make this all the time.

So, what is it? It’s like, you take those tamarind pods, you know, the brown ones? You gotta get ’em open. Sometimes they’re sticky, sometimes they ain’t. Inside, there’s this pulpy stuff, kinda dark. That’s what you use.

You gotta get that pulp out. Sometimes it’s hard, sometimes it’s soft.
Then, you gotta soak it in water. Hot water’s best, makes it all soft and mushy.
After a while, you squeeze it. Get all that juice out.

That juice, that’s the tamarind liquid. It’s kinda sour, kinda sweet. Some folks like it strong, some folks like it weak. You can add sugar, or salt, or whatever you want.

What’s it good for? Well, my grandma, she used to say it helps with belly aches. Don’t know if that’s true, but it always made me feel better. She’d give it to us kids when we were sick. Tasted kinda funny, but we drank it anyway.

You can use it in cooking, too. Makes things taste tangy. Like, if you’re making a stew or somethin’. Just a little bit, don’t go crazy. You can also mix it with drinks. Makes a good summer drink, if you add enough sugar.

Now, I heard some folks say you can buy this stuff in a jar. Already made. Ain’t never tried it. I like to make it myself. That way, I know what’s in it.

Where do you get tamarinds? Well, depends on where you live, I guess. Sometimes you can find ’em at the market. Sometimes you gotta go to a special store. Or maybe you know someone who has a tree. They’re kinda funny looking trees, big and shady.

I remember when I was a kid, we had a tamarind tree in our yard. We used to climb it and pick the pods. My grandma would yell at us, ’cause we’d drop ’em on the ground and make a mess. But she’d always make us the liquid when we got sick.

So, that’s tamarind liquid. It’s just that pulp, soaked in water, squeezed out. Nothing fancy. But it’s good. Good for your belly, good for cooking, good for drinking. Try it sometime. You might like it.

I ain’t no expert, you know. Just telling you what I know. Maybe you can find more information somewhere else. But this is how I make it. And it works for me.

So, go on, try it. Get some tamarinds, soak ’em, squeeze ’em. See what you think. Might be just what you need. And remember, if you’re using the store-bought stuff, make sure it’s real. Some folks try to sell you fake stuff. You gotta watch out for that.