1) If using Tamarind pods, Peel the skin off with a paring knife. Break the pulp into 1 inch pieces and place in a blender with 1 cup of hot water. Let the Tamarind soften for about 5 minutes.

2) Run the blender in short bursts at low speed for 15 to 30 seconds to obtain a thick brown liquid. Don't overblend, or you'll break up the seeds. Pour the resulting liquid through a strainer, pressing hard with a wooden spoonto extract the juices, scraping the underneath side of the strainerwith a spatula.

3) Return the pulp in the strainer to the blender andadd the remaining 3/4 cup hot water. Blend again and pour the miture through the strainer, pressing well to extract the juices. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; or freeze for several months (freeze in plastic ice cube trays for convienient pre-measured portions.

(Can be found in puree in some markets eliminating need for recipe)

Hispanic Markets

Asian Markets

Carribbean Markets

Note: Some Indian makets sell tamarind extract. This can not be used to make this water.