Tamarind pulp

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I have a few recipes that call for tamarind pulp.
My question is am I supposed to go out an buy it, or do I need to pulp my own tamarinds?
My nearest Asian grocery store doesn't have it, and the closest thing at Jewel (big grocery chain in Chicago, Albertsons to the rest of the country, I think) is "Tamarind Chutney", and the people there don't know if it's a suitable substitute.

Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 16:03 (seventeen years ago) link

My question is am I supposed to go out an buy it, or do I need to pulp my own tamarinds?

You could go either way -- I've seen tamarind pulp in vacuum-sealed blocks (frozen, maybe?) and then there are biggish tubs of pods for making your own. I don't think chutney would be a good substitute unless the other ingredients in it match up with whatever you're going to do with the pulp. It's really shocking that an Asian grocery wouldn't have it -- they have tons of it at the place I go in Memphis.

Making your own pulp from pods is a time consuming pain in the butt, really.

The PEW Research Center for Panty-Twisting (Rock Hardy), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 16:28 (seventeen years ago) link

The store near me is very small, and I think specifically Chinese. There is a more diversified, supermarket-sized place that's not too far away, so I'll try over there. Thanks.

Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 17:20 (seventeen years ago) link

You can get it from Amazon, if all else fails. Also called tamarind paste. Tamarind chutney would not be a good substitute in general.

jaq (jaq), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 17:23 (seventeen years ago) link

two years pass...

bringing the tamarind talk over here.
i am going to read up on what else i should do with it. it's such a treat!
have you ever used in marinades?

te,he (tehresa), Thursday, 9 July 2009 21:04 (fifteen years ago) link

i was thinking about starting a poll about what the best kind of jarritos is the other day, because i was craving a taco and jarritos, and i think tamarind would win, if not for guava

spite n ease (harbl), Thursday, 9 July 2009 22:29 (fifteen years ago) link

oh, i think i first got it when i was making pad thai but pad thai is hard to make so i just used similar sauce for tofu + greens + noodles. i think i have used it for tofu marinade, would be good for chicken probably

spite n ease (harbl), Thursday, 9 July 2009 22:42 (fifteen years ago) link

this is kind of great but overwhelming: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/tamarind.html#Food%20Uses

te,he (tehresa), Thursday, 9 July 2009 22:46 (fifteen years ago) link

Wow!

This: a slow-growing, long-lived, massive tree reaches, under favorable conditions, a height of 80 or even 100 ft = probably not a good indoor companion for Daisy. But this: the pulp is [...] administered to alleviate sunstroke, Datura poisoning, and alcoholic intoxication = awesome hangover cure!

jaq, Thursday, 9 July 2009 23:03 (fifteen years ago) link

so what if you made an alcoholic drink using tamarind? would this save you? like an alcoholic jarrito?

te,he (tehresa), Thursday, 9 July 2009 23:07 (fifteen years ago) link

The only way to know is to try it - time for FOOD SCIENCE!

jaq, Thursday, 9 July 2009 23:09 (fifteen years ago) link

i think a taste testing party is in order?

te,he (tehresa), Thursday, 9 July 2009 23:17 (fifteen years ago) link

I think so! Should we have someone be the control and not consume any tamarind? Or would that just be cruel?

jaq, Thursday, 9 July 2009 23:21 (fifteen years ago) link

i vote jergins.

te,he (tehresa), Thursday, 9 July 2009 23:33 (fifteen years ago) link

I'm wondering now if it cures hangovers, or if it is supposed to sober you up? Useful, either way!

jaq, Thursday, 9 July 2009 23:37 (fifteen years ago) link

i was thinking about alcoholic tamarind drinks the other day!

spite n ease (harbl), Thursday, 9 July 2009 23:44 (fifteen years ago) link

i will tell you that we made a vodka/soda/tamarind syrup drink the other day that was not bad but i would like to find a way to do it with more tamarind and less syrup and some other better alcohol than vodka.

te,he (tehresa), Thursday, 9 July 2009 23:46 (fifteen years ago) link

yeah i wouldn't want to buy tamarind syrup itself, could prob make a better one with less sugar yourself
as for alcohol i am not an expert

spite n ease (harbl), Thursday, 9 July 2009 23:55 (fifteen years ago) link

i made the tamarind syrup. it is not bad, i just don't like sweet things.

te,he (tehresa), Thursday, 9 July 2009 23:57 (fifteen years ago) link

i am thinking maybe rum?

te,he (tehresa), Thursday, 9 July 2009 23:57 (fifteen years ago) link

oh i didn't read good, missed the "we made"

spite n ease (harbl), Friday, 10 July 2009 00:00 (fifteen years ago) link

no you didn't read bad, that 'we made' was referring to making drinks.
i made the syrup in a separate incident last week.

te,he (tehresa), Friday, 10 July 2009 00:02 (fifteen years ago) link

on my way home from work i was thinking tehe and jaq should come for drinks tomorrow. y'all can be the hangover-prevention testers and i can be the control, cuz i don't think i'm into tamarind drinks.

plus: i have rum on hand.

minus: jergins will not be available for this proposed soiree.

lxy, Friday, 10 July 2009 00:35 (fifteen years ago) link

ooh, if jaq is available, this sounds fun! i can make the tamarind for testing, but how should i make it? pulp? tamarind water? hmm.

te,he (tehresa), Friday, 10 July 2009 02:14 (fifteen years ago) link

Ooo, I am indeed available, and this sounds fabulous! I will need to bus home first, but then could drive up, swinging by te,he's on the way to lxy's magic porch. What time?

jaq, Friday, 10 July 2009 02:34 (fifteen years ago) link

yayayayayayay!!

whenever you can/want, jaq and te!

lxy, Friday, 10 July 2009 02:50 (fifteen years ago) link

t, I can probably get to your hill around 6:45-7ish?

jaq, Friday, 10 July 2009 02:53 (fifteen years ago) link

let me check my super busy schedule

te,he (tehresa), Friday, 10 July 2009 02:56 (fifteen years ago) link

Ok yeah, I'm available then. Hooray! What is your tamarind poison of choice?

te,he (tehresa), Friday, 10 July 2009 02:57 (fifteen years ago) link

It all sounds good to me - your choice!

jaq, Friday, 10 July 2009 02:59 (fifteen years ago) link

hey ladies i'll see you soon after 7 then! yippie!

lxy, Friday, 10 July 2009 03:43 (fifteen years ago) link

I keep reading this thread title as tamarind pub!

te,he (tehresa), Friday, 10 July 2009 05:09 (fifteen years ago) link

i think one of the topics of conversation tomorrow will be how we will make our fortune by opening this pub

lxy, Friday, 10 July 2009 05:28 (fifteen years ago) link

sandbox investors, speak up

lxy, Friday, 10 July 2009 05:29 (fifteen years ago) link

I think this has potential.

te,he (tehresa), Friday, 10 July 2009 05:30 (fifteen years ago) link


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