Tamarind (Sampalok) Fruit Processing

Of all the fruit trees of the tropics, none is more widely distributed nor more appreciated as an ornamental than the tamarind, Tamarindus indica L. (syns. T. occidentalis Gaertn.; T. officinalis Hook.), of the family Leguminosae. Most of its colloquial names are variations on the common English term.

In Spanish and Portuguese, it is tamarindo; in the Philippines, sampalok or various other dialectal names; in Malaya, asam jawa; in India, it is tamarind or ambli, imli, chinch, etc.; in Cambodia, it is ampil or khoua me; in Laos, mak kham; in Thailand, ma-kharm.

Description

The tamarind, a slow-growing, long-lived, massive tree reaches, under favorable conditions, a height of 80 or even 100 ft (24-30 m), and may attain a spread of 40 ft (12 m) and a trunk circumference of 25 ft (7.5 m). It is highly wind-resistant, with strong, supple branches, gracefully drooping at the ends, and has dark-gray, rough, fissured bark. The mass of bright-green, fine, feathery foliage is composed of pinnate leaves, 3 to 6 in (7.5-15 cm) in length, each having 10 to 20 pairs of oblong leaflets 1/2 to 1 in (1.25-2.5 cm) long and 1/5 to 1/4 in (5-6 mm) wide, which fold at night.

The leaves are normally evergreen but may be shed briefly in very dry areas during the hot season. Inconspicuous, inch-wide flowers, borne in small racemes, are 5-petaled (2 reduced to bristles), yellow with orange or red streaks. The flower-buds are distinctly pink due to the outer color of the 4 sepals which are shed when the flower opens.

The fruits, flattish, bean-like, irregularly curved and bulged pods, are borne in great abundance along the new branches and usually vary from 2 to 7 in long and from 3/4 to 1 1/4 in (2-3.2 cm) in diameter. Exceptionally large tamarinds have been found on individual trees. The pods may be cinnamon-brown or grayish-brown externally and, at first, are tender-skinned with green, highly acid flesh and soft, whitish, under-developed seeds. As they mature, the pods fill out somewhat and the juicy, acidulous pulp turns brown or reddish-brown.

Thereafter, the skin becomes a brittle, easily-cracked shell and the pulp dehydrates naturally to a sticky paste enclosed by a few coarse strands of fiber extending lengthwise from the stalk. The 1 to 12 fully formed seeds are hard, glossy-brown, squarish in form, 1/8 to 1/2 in (1.1-1.25 cm) in diameter, and each is enclosed in a parchment-like membrane.

Keeping Quality

To preserve tamarinds for future use, they may be merely shelled, layered with sugar in boxes or pressed into tight balls and covered with cloth and kept in a cool, dry place. For shipment to processors, tamarinds may be shelled, layered with sugar in barrels and covered with boiling sirup. East Indians shell the fruits and sprinkle them lightly with salt as a preservative. In Java, the salted pulp is rolled into balls, steamed and sun-dried, then exposed to dew for a week before being packed in stone jars. In India, the pulp, with or without seeds and fibers may be mixed with salt (10%), pounded into blocks, wrapped in palm-leaf matting, and packed in burlap sacks for marketing. To store for long periods, the blocks of pulp may be first steamed or sun-dried for several days.

Why Process Tamarind Fruits?

• The fruit is high in protein, carbohydrates, potassium, phosporous and calcium and is a source of iron, vitamin C, thiamine and niacin
• Processing increases the shelf-life of the fruit
• Processing adds value and increases income

How To Process Tamarind Fruits?

Pre-processing:

1. Sun dry fresh fruits or use small scale dehydrators.
2. Crack and seperate pulp and fibres from the broken shells.
3. Removed the seeds.
4. You can store the pods for several weeks at 20°C
5. You can store the pulp for 4-6 months below 10°C by packing in high density polythene. Store one year when you mixed it with salt.

TAMARIND JUICE

Procedure:

1. Boil tamarind pulp in water.
2. Filter juice to remove the pulp.
3. Pour into bottles and seal.
4. Heat pasteurize in bottles.
5. Cool rapidly to room temperature in cold water.
6. Pack in well-sealed clean glass or plastic
7. bottles and store in a dark, cool place.

TAMARIND CONCENTRATE

This can be easily dispersible in water, and can be used for many purposes, such as in ketchups, sauces, soft drinks, dairy products and as a souring agent.

Procedure:

1. Soak tamarind pulp in water and boil.
2. Separate fine and pulpy matter using a filter.
3. Press the residue and mix this with the extract.
4. Concentrate the filtered extract by evaporation under vaccum.
5. Fill containers, cool and seal.
6. Store in airtight plastic or glass bottles or cans, in the dark, for over a year.

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