Tamarindo or tamarind is a very sour fruit that is native to Africa but the largest consumers of this fruit are in Latin America and Asia. In Mexico you can find tamarind agua fresca, tamarind popsicles, tamarind candy with or without chili, and tamarind mole sauces. We love the stuff. My family has trees in their backyards in Mexico, they grow well in tropical and subtropical areas without much need for attention.
The pods have a crispy outer layer with fibrous veins running along the chewy pulp that surrounds the hard black seeds. You can find these at any Latin, Indian, or Asian grocery stores. They sell them whole and dried in the produce section or you can buy them already peeled and compressed usually next to the canned coconut milk.
Making tamarind almíbar , or sweet syrup, for your shaved ice is very simple. If you want to know more about shaved ices or raspados see my post on Why do you need raspadoes in your life. If you start with the fresh pods you have to peel, de-vein and set in a pot to boil. If you start with the paste, you simply put the paste in the pot with water and boil. This will boil for about an hour on medium heat. Feel free to add more sugar or less. If you want it thicker, boil a little longer. If you want more of a runny syrup add more water or boil less time. You can also sieve all the seeds but we like to keep them in. You can also use this mix to make agua fresca. My favorite way to eat this is with Mezcal.
Tamarind syrup for raspados
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: a lot of raspados
Description
A tangy and sweet syrup topping for your raspados or shaved ices.
Tools: pot, spoon, raspador
Ingredients
- 20 tamarind pods (or half of the tamarind block)
- 4 cups of water
- 1 cup of sugar
Instructions
- If you started with the fresh pods, remove the husk and large vein inside.
- Add the seeds and pulp to the pot with the water and sugar.
- Boil for 30 minutes until the fruit softens and the water turns the color of the tamarind seeds. Dark brown.
- I like my syrup the consistency of honey, but it can also be the consistency of maple syrup. This means you stop the cooking process when the syrup reaches the consistency that you like.
- Remove from heat and let cool before using. You definitely need to allow this to cool. If you place hot or warm syrup on your shaved ice, it will melt.
- This mix is meant to be sweet, as it has a lot of sugar it holds up pretty long – about 3 months in the fridge.
- Category: raspados
- Method: boil and shave
Keywords: raspados, shaved ice, piraguas, granizados, raspadinha
