Avoid wasting your store of tamarind. This pod, grown in India, is frequently ground into a paste and used as a flavoring for dressings, drinks and sauces. There are many forms of tamarind sold, including whole pods, tamarind concentrate paste, compressed tamarind and tamarind syrup. Knowing how to store these properly will ensure that you have fresh tamarind when you need it.
Store Whole Pods
Place whole tamarind pods in zip-top bag.
Squeeze out excess air and seal the bag.
Store the bag of whole tamarind pods indefinitely at room temperature.
Store Concentrate or Compressed Tamarind
Store unopened jars of tamarind concentrate paste in the pantry indefinitely. Keep unopened, frozen compressed tamarind indefinitely in the freezer.
Reseal jars of tamarind concentrate paste and refrigerate for up to three months.
Transfer opened packages of frozen, compressed tamarind to a zip-top bag and seal. Freeze the bag indefinitely.