Tamarind Paste

I recently bought my first jar of tamarind paste (I've been steadily cooking through Made In India, swoon...). The jar itself doesn't have any storing instructions on it. Do I keep it in the fridge? For how long is it good? Do I need to portion it off and freeze?

Any words of advice would be great!

TheFritschKitchen
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5 Comments

Lost_in_NYC
Lost_in_NYC March 26, 2016
Fellow Indian tamarind user here! Just like Le Bec Fin, I buy the same tamarind jar from the Indian grocery store. My mom (and now me) always store in the spice cabinet w/the other spices and it has a looooooooong shelf life. If you store it in a fridge its harder to dilute when you need to use in recipes and you'll need using more liquid (i.e. water/stock). Storing it in cool, dark place will keep it semi-soft and will require less liquid to soften it when you need to add it to dishes.
 
Annada R.
Annada R. March 21, 2016
Yes, please store tamarind paste in the fridge. No need to freeze. It stays well for weeks. But I have realized that after a month or so it slowly starts losing its sourness. Nothing you can do about that. If you have a similar experience, just add more than you used to before.
 
LeBec F.
LeBec F. March 22, 2016
i have been cooking with tamarind paste for 30 yrs but i have not had annada's experience. The kind I have is sold at Indian stores, is in a red and yellow plastic jar w/ a red lid, and is like tar. For me, it lasts forever at room temp.
My thought, fwiw, is that, even if it decreases in impact, over time, it is SOOOO STRONG that that doesn't matter! Advice- use your finger to mix it with water til thinner and no lumps; you can always add more but you can't take it away.
 
C S.
C S. March 21, 2016
I second what LIz said, keep it in the refrigerator, it lasts.
 
Liz D.
Liz D. March 21, 2016
I have a jar of tamarind concentrate, it says to keep in a cool dry place. I keep mine in the fridge. I think it lasts a long time as long as it doesn't get moldy.
 
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