Paletas de Tamarindo (Tamarind Popsicles)
These water-based paletas de tamarindo (tamarind popsicles) are refreshingly sweet, sour, and only requires 3 ingredients!
Servings: 10 paletas
Ingredients
Instructions
- Peel the shells off the tamarind, remove the stringy stuff, and put the tamarind pulp & seeds in a medium sauce pan.1/2 lb dried tamarind pods
- Add the sugar and only 3 cups of the water. Mix and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until it softens & thickens, then turn off the heat and cover with a lid for 1 hour.1 1/2 cups sugar
- After 1 hour, use your hands (wear gloves) to break down the pulp as much as you can. This will make it easier to push through a sieve.
- Push through a sieve until there are mostly just the seeds left. You can throw these away.
- This is what your tamarind pulp should look like. It's perfectly fine if it's thicker than this, but if it's too thin & doesn't coat your spatula, you need to cook it more.
- Transfer to a pitcher or measuring glass, then add the remaining 1 cup of water. You may need a little less or more water, depending on your taste. Taste the mixture and make any adjustments for water & sugar. Tamarind is a very strong & overpowering flavor, so if you feel that it's too sour or too strong, you may need more water and/or sugar. *If using tajin and/or chamoy, you can mix it in now, or you can do it in the next step. I recommend anywhere between 2-4 tbsp of chamoy, and 1 tbsp of tajin.tajin, chamoy
- Pour into a clean popsicle mold, push in popsicle sticks, and freeze for at least 8 hours. *If using tajin and/or chamoy, you can layer it into the popsicle mold while pouring in the the tamarind mixture, alternating the ingredients 3-4 times. Then use a popsicle stick to gently swirl it around. This option is better than the previous one if you want to see a little bit of a swirly design in your paleta.tajin, chamoy
- For easy release, you can place the mold in warm water for 20 seconds, or use a popsicle stick to push down the sides of the paletas to loosen.
- I recommend eating these within the first 2 weeks, but they can last much longer with a vacuum sealer and popsicle baggies. Keep in mind the longer they stay in the freezer, the more ice crystals will form!
