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Tamarind from pod to paste

May 14, 2022

I'm telling you straight up, tamarind "goo" is not photographic in the least. 

How I got from here

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to here in a few, almost painless steps. 

This was my first time doing this so I'm far from experienced but I did learn a thing or two. Let's look at the pods. I did learn that the "puffier" the pods the easier the shell comes off, and the darker the pod, the older it is, and will more likely have the shell stick to the pulp, which will be a bear to pick off little piece by little piece. So, light color and puffy get it, light color and not puffy pass, dark color fuggedaboutit!

See those light spots on the peeled pods, that's some of the shell that I couldn't get off the pulp. In the long run, it didn't really matter because it got caught up in the sieve anyway.  Just make sure you get most of the shell and hard stringy veins. 

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I think I had about 9 or 10  pods. 

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For every ounce of tamarind pods, you'll need an equal amount of hot water to soak them in. They should soak for about 20 to 30 minutes. 

Now the real fun begins, get your hand in the bowl and smoosh and massage the pods to help separate the beans from the pulp,

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Then dump all the contents of the bowl into a sieve placed over a bowl and continue smooshing and pressing it through the sieve. 

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You'll need to occasionally scrape the pulp off the bottom of the sieve. 

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Then you'll end up with a nice thick paste ready for your next culinary adventure. 

This will keep for 3 to 4 weeks well covered in the refrigerator or the freezer for months. 

Now I'm off to find some recipes using tamarind. I've seen a few that look promising. 

And that's that!

Posted at 02:41 PM in Pickles/Relishes/Condiments | | Comments (0)

Egg-free mayonnaise-aquafaba

November 30, 2020
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Hands down, the best mayonnaise I've made so far. Rich, and creamy with just the right amount of tang.

I've always used eggs, to make mayonnaise, but this time I was out of eggs and too lazy to go get some. I've known that aquafaba is a great egg alternative but dang, I didn't know it would make such wonderful mayonnaise. 

So, let's make some mayonnaise. 

You'll need

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The liquid from canned garbanzo beans, that's the aquafaba, lemon juice, dry mustard, oil, and salt, that's all. 

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Put the aquafaba, lemon juice, mustard, and salt into a bowl, and whisk/blend until well blended. Then slowly add the oil in a thin stream while whisking/blending until mayonnaise is thick. 

I always make my mayonnaise using avocado oil instead of olive or vegetable oil. I think it just tastes better. 

I did a little googling and you can make your own aquafaba if you cook your own garbanzo beans from dry. Some say to use the liquid you soaked the beans in, some say to discard it. I haven't made it yet but here is someone who has.
Lazy Cat Kitchen

 

Egg-free Mayonnaise

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons aquafaba
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    3/4 cup vegetable/ soybean oil (or any neutral tasting oil)

Directions

  1. Combine aquafaba, lemon juice, mustard, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk (see notes) until well blended, about 30 seconds.
    Gradually add the oil in a very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8 minutes.
    Cover and chill.

  2. I use an immersion blender to make the whisking process easier.Keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 3 days.

    Nutrition Facts
    Eggless Homemade Mayonnaise
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 89 Calories from Fat 90
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fat 10g 15%
    Saturated Fat 8g 40%
    Sodium 72mg 3%
    Vitamin C 0.4%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Mommyshomecooking.com

And that's that!

Posted at 12:00 PM in Pickles/Relishes/Condiments | | Comments (0)

Pickled Red Onions

June 29, 2019
 
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These onions make a wonderful garnish for fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, and salads, or you may like them so much you just eat them by themselves. They have a terrific citrus flavor and have no added oil, which makes them all the more appealing. 

Recipe from the Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook

I hope you have a mandoline, it makes slicing the onions much faster and easier, but sorry, it doesn't cut back on the tears.

By the time I finished writing this post, the onions softened up enough to be completely submerged into the brine. 

Pickled Red Onions

Ingredients

  • 2 cups red wine vinegar
  • 1 6-oz can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 4 bay leaves, broken in half
  • salt to taste
  • 1 1/4 pounds medium-sized red onions, peeled and cut into slivers

Directions

  1.  Combine all the ingredients except the onions in a large bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the onions and combine well. 
  2. Cover the bowl and let the onions stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 24 hours. Stir the mixture once again and then refrigerate, covered. 
    These onions will keep for up to two weeks. After that, these onions retain their flavor but lose some of their vibrant color

Posted at 03:31 PM in Pickles/Relishes/Condiments | | Comments (0)