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Why You Should Never Buy Tamarind Paste Again
If you've been using tamarind paste from a jar from cooking, let me try to convince you to never buy one of those again! I used to use those jars regularly myself because it was the most convenient thing, but I don't know if the products became worse or my standards became higher, but I eventually I became more and more dissatisfied with the quality of premade pastes. They started to taste really bland and diluted to me.
So I started making it from tamarind pulp. Tamarind pulp is that dark brown brick labelled simply as "Tamarind." You can find them at many Asian grocery stores. The tamarind paste that I make from the pulp has consistently been more flavourful and more sour, and sour is exactly what you want cooking tamarind to be!
I also started making it in large amounts, then cook it and store in mason jars which will last several months in the fridge. This way, I only have to go through the process a couple of times a year.
What is tamarind?
For this basic question I'm going to refer you to my Ultimate Guide to Tamarind video. It covers everything you need to know including the difference between cooking VS eating tamarind. I also show you what tamarind looks like in its original pod!
For more videos on other Thai ingredients
Check out my Thai Ingredient Playlist where I have informational videos about the most important ingredients in Thai cuisine.
Ed
Can I put the jar in the fridge right after it’s been boil or do I wait for the paste to cool down?
Junaidi Aminuddin
No harm for the tamarind paste, but not good for your fridge. Always good practice to let anything cool down before putting in fridge.
Yvonne Roberts
Love your Pad Thai recipe. Thank you for emphasizing that we should boil the paste once we soak the block of Tamarin and squish it through a strainer. You should add this part to the recipe on how to make Pad Thai . Your recipe is the best. I make it all the time and everyone loves it. When making the paste, a trick I use is that I put my clean jar in the oven to warm them. I put the lids in a pot of boiling water. When I put the paste in the jars and put on the lids (fingertip tight) the lids seal. This may help to preserve the paste longer and in a safer manner.
Oscar Pinlac
The only trick that might possibly work is getting one of those coffee strainers with plunger, where you can probably squeeze out the thick slurry. But you still have to clean that equipment afterwards, an added dish to wash.
Patty
Hi Pailin, how long would you process in a hot water bath (as for jam) for longer shelf life? Or would pressure canning be better?
Pailin Chongchitnant
Hot water bath or pressure canning would be fine, as to how long I'm not entirely sure but I think it would be the same as if you were to make jam.
Tony
Is there a particular brand of a tamarind block you used in the video?
Jim
Cooked in a stainless steel pot that had some hard water stains and it ate them away. Washed the pot after and it was spotless. Possible side benefit of boiling paste is as a stainless steel cleaner. 😉
However if that acidic probably better to use enameled cast iron or non stick so there is no chance of reacting with the pot.
Adam The HTK Minion
Hi Jim! ... and lol re using it as a cleaner 🙂 Re acidic ingredients though and reacting with the pot itself you might be thinking of aluminum? Stainless steel is non-reactive, so doesn't matter what you put in it. ASSUMING of course that it's clean - maybe a big assumption 🙂 Cheers! Adam
Oscar Pinlac
Good idea, but stainless steel is better. The calcium deposit is just more obvious on the stainless pot due to the mirror effect of the metal. Otherwise, there's probably calcium stain on the enameled cast iron that is not quite obvious?
Sana
Hello very good good site and recipes!! How long does it last if you do this? I have a Block of tamarind and on the bag it says it lasts until august. If i do this and put it in a mason jar, Will it last longer?
Kind regards
Sanae
Pailin Chongchitnant
If you make a paste, boil it, and it should last in the jar for a few months. But the block of tamarind will last longer, it usually outlasts the expiration date if kept in the fridge.
Petru
I followed the recipe with half the bar and 2 cups of water but it ended up allot more watery and not like a paste. Should I boil it more to try and reduce it? Thank you.
Pailin Chongchitnant
BLocks come in different sizes, is it possible you used a smaller bar? What I used it a 1lb block so ½ lb of tamarind for 2 cups. Also, it could mean that you didn't squish out enough flesh. You can certainly reduce it by boiling.
Liana
This was great! Thank you so much for making this helpful video and making it so easy to follow! I will doing this tomorrow.
jane
Instructions are excellent and the whole process is easier than it sounds. The one thing I did differently was to fill the jar right to the very top with boiling water and put the lid on and let it stand for five minutes before putting the paste in jar...not sterilized but better than just "clean" for refrigerator shelf life.
Meredith Sanders
I’m so looking forward to trying this recipe! Is there a simple trick to removing the tamarind from the seeds?