TAMARIND – VARIETIES & POST HARVEST TECHNOLOGY AND PROCESSING

BYR.JOTHI LAKSHMI

FACTS ABOUT TAMARIND• Tamarindus indica L• “Tamare – hindi” / “Tamarhindi” - arabic

word – Indian dates• ‘Amlika’ in Sanskrit – sour taste• Monotypic genus Tamarindus• Origin : Eastern Tropical Africa• India largest producer & only country to

produce it commercially• 30:40:30% pulp: seed: fibre• Protogynous, entamophillous, highly

cross pollinated crop•

TAMARIND CULTIVARSPKM – 1:

• Released in1992.• Clonal selection collected from Endapuli village• Early bearer• Seedling – 5th year, grafts – 3rd year• Fruits – characteristic semicircle shape & white colour in

the inner side of pulp indicating its superior quality• High pulp recovery of 39% (in local only 28%)• High tartaric acid – 17.1% & ascorbic acid (3.95 mg/ 100g)• High yielder – 263 kg / tree (in local 167kg/ tree)- 59%

increase than local types.

URIGAM:• Superior local genotype located near Urigam,

near Thenkanikottai in Dharmapuri district• Seedling – 6-8 years, grafts-4th year• Short , branches like an umbrella• Pods lengthy, fleshy & tasty• Characteristic- flat, inward ‘C’ shaped curve• Late flowering in march, ready for harvest by

July• Each fruit weighs 150- 200g. Seed content- 10-

12/pod

Prathithan:• High yielder released from FRS, Aurangabad,

Maharashtra

DTS -1 :• UAS, Dharwad• Sweet red type

Yogeswari:• Forest dept, Karnataka.• Red pulp selection.

Other local selection are1. Cumbum selection: Selection made at Cumbum in Madurai Dt2. Rahuri selection from MH3. Karur urigam tamarind from Karur, TN4. Kangadevanapalli tamarind5. Dever ullimangalam tamarind

CLASSIFICATION OF TAMARIND

Colour•Red•Black•brown

Taste•Sour: prathisthan,

PKM – 1•Sweet: Thailand

type•Red var peferred –

acid free &sweet, pink & brown var – sour

Place of identification

•Urigam•cumbam•Karur etc.,

Place of origin(a) EI var:long

pods(6-12 seeds/tree)(b) WI var:

short pods(1-4 seeds/ tree)

POST- HARVEST TECHNOLOGY• Pulp is freed from fiber and seed and is mixed with about

10% salt and beaten down with mallets, so as to exclude air

• It is then packed into gunny bags, lined with palm- leaf matting

• Pulp with fiber & seed also common in the market• Another process- salted pulp- trodden into a mass & made

into balls, exposed to the sun & dew for about a week• Balls steamed for a short time before being exposed to

the sun & dew• Pulp- light brownish red, but darkens with time during

storage

GRADING• Pulp is red coloured due to pigment chrysanthemum• Red type is sweeter than common type – low content of

free acids – fetches high price in the market & is preferred for making preserves

• The Agmark authorities have laid down separate specifications for

(a) Seedless tamarind – light red to tinged – brown pulp(b) Seedless tamarind – pulp black colour(c) Tamarind pulp with seeds

PROCEESED PRODUCTS OF TAMARIND

TAMARIND PULP:• Ripe fruit contains 55%tamarind pulp, 33% seed 12%fiber.

CONTENT AMOUNTMoisture 18.2%

Free acid (tartaric acid) 9.8%

Combined acid 6.7%

Total sugars as invert sugar 38.2%

Protein 2.8%

Pectin 2.8%

Cellulose residue (fiber) 19.4%

Mineral matter 2.8%

calcium 0.17%

Phosphorus 0.11%

Iron 0.011%

Calorific value 83 calories / 100g

Vit A 100 I.U./100 g

niacin 0.2 mg/ 100g

Tamarind pulp contains

• TAMARIND CONCENTRATE:

Tartaric acid = 12 to 13% Ash = 2% Ash insoluble in dilute HCL = 32% of total ash

USES:• In Worcestershire sauce for an exotic flavor• It has good flavor, easy to dispense & reconstitutes in water• CFTRI, Mysore has developed a process for manufacture of

tamarind conc.• It is free from fiber , seeds & foreign matter & is very hygienic.• It is almost of jam consistency

SIMMERING OF FRUITS

PASSING COOKED MASS THROUGH MOTORISED PULPER(removes all residual seed, fiber& cellulosic material)

VACUUM CONC OF THIS SOFT HOMOGENISED PULP(OR)

COMPRESSING IT INTO MOULDS BLOCKS LIKE CHEESE,

CERTAIN AMT OF CLEANING(removes fiber, husk & seed)

Tamarind pulp powder

• Prepared in hygienic powder form• Packed in HDPE pockets or unit-packing from

250g

Cleaned tamarind pulp+ additives (mixing)

Drying

Pulverizing

Granulating & conditioning

Packing

Product powder

Tamarind Beverages

• Cooling beverages from tamarind pulp are prepared.

Tamarind seed kernel powder• Source of starch – cheaper than corn starch• used as a good creaming agent for the conc. of rubber

latex.• As a conditioner and stabilizer of soil for brick making• As ‘jellose’ – it forms ‘gel’ with sugar and water at specific

pH. ( jellose is a veg. polysaccharide composed of glucose,

xylose & galactose. Used as thickening agent ,as a stabilizer and as a gelling agent similarly as pectin. But it is not a true pectin due to the absence of glacturonic acid)

Tamarind candy

Selection of the tamarind fruit

Peeling

Pouring the boiling sugar syrup (620 c)(boiling sugar – 3parts of water+ 1part of water)

Soaking for 3 davs

Draining

Soaking in freshly prepared syrup(repeat this until the fruit is sweet enough)

Arranging the sweetened fruit in bamboo racks

Drying in sunFinally in oven at low temp.

Cooling

Wrapping in cellophane

Tamarind jamSelection of ripe fruits

Shelling

Boiling the pulp for 10 minutes

Draining

Separating from seeds

Adding 2 cups of sugars for 1 cup of pulp

Cooking with constant stirring till thick constancy

Cooling

Packing in sterilized jar

sealing

Tamarind pickleSelection of tamarind fruit

Soaking in water for 12 hrs

Separation of pulp

Adding sugar to pulp(1:1)

Boiling and stirring the mixture

Adding the spice mixture(spice mix- coriander, cumin seed, black cumin, cloves,

cardamom, cinnamon, chilies, salt, mustard oil, black pepper)

Ground to paste

Add to boiling tamarind

Packed in sterilized glass jar

sealing

Tamarind syrupBoiling immature tamarind fruit pulp

Straining thru cheese cloth

Add ½ tsp of baking soda for 1cup of juice

Boil the mixture to ½ the original quantities

Removing the scum

Straining the juice

Adding ½ cup of sugar

Boiling for 20 min.

Cooling

Packing in sterilized jar

sealing

Integrated process for the manufacture of Tartarates, Pectin and Alcohol

• Since pulp contains pectin, an integrated scheme has been worked out at CFTRI – pectin, tartarates and ethanol from it.

Pulp repeatedly extracted with boiling water

Filltered extract cooled

potassium bitartarate seperates

Supernant is conc under vacuum

Pectin seperated by adding alcohol

Filtrate treated with lime to precipitate calcium tartarate

Remaining sugars – fermented with yeast - alcohol recovered

• For isolating tartaric acid use of green pods is suggested, as they contain most of the acid in free form.

REFERENCES• Minor Spices & condiments crop management and post harvest technology J.S. Pruthi pg 420 -423

• Spices – horticultural series- 5 EV.Nybe, M.Mini Raj, K.V.Peter, 2007.

• TNAU Agri portal - Post harvest Technology