Tamarind monograph.pdf - Crops for the Future

Feungchan et al. (1966 f) attempted several methods to prevent change of
pulp colour including powdered salt, steam, sodium metabisulphite, sun
drying, hot air incubation and cold storage. Cold storage of pulp in
transparent containers at 0 o C, and mixing powdered salt at 10% by weight
in a transparent container are satisfactory ways to prevent the colour change
in tamarind. However, the use of salt and storage in a transparent container
is considered best due to its ease of handling, and it is more cost effective
than cold storage.
The pulp can be stored in a cool, dry place for three to six months without
much attention. In some places in India salted (10%) pulp is trodden into a
mass and made into balls, exposed to the sun or steamed for a short time,
and then exposed to the sun and dew for about a week (Shankaracharya,
1998).
Various methods for prolonging the storage life of the whole fruit and pulp
have been developed. According to Chumsai-Silvanich et al. (1991),
steaming the tamarind fruit for five minutes, followed by drying in a hot air
oven at 80 o C for two hours and storing in plastic bags at room temperature
is a suitable method. Using this method, the fruits can be stored for four
months without any deterioration in quality. Similarly, steaming the pulp for
20 minutes, followed by drying at 60 o C for 2.5 hours and packing in clear
plastic bags will allow storage for three months. Freshly harvested fruits can
be stored for a few days in a refrigerator or freezer. Drying is the best way to
store small amounts of tamarind pulp (Campbell and Campbell, 1983).
Freshly harvested tamarind pulp can be preserved well for 4-6 months by
packing in high-density polythene bags and storing below 10 o C in a dry
place. Lewis and Neelakantan (1964 a) reported that by mixing the shelled
tamarind fruits with a small amount of water and passing them through a
pulper, the residual seeds, fibre and other extraneous materials can be
removed. Drum drying this homogeneous pulp and compressing it in moulds
gives cheese-like blocks which are ideal for utilisation by industry.
Refrigerated storage of the freshly harvested, deseeded, semidried ripe pulp
is highly recommended in order to retain the attractive brownish red colour
of the pulp for long term storage and marketing. In areas where the tamarind
tree is an alternate bearer, traders purchase tamarind in a good crop year for
stocking in cold storage, for sale in the subsequent year (Indian Agriculture,
2003).
Deseeded pulp packed in 150 gauge poly bags of 5 kg capacity (fresh
commercial sample) can be stored under refrigerated conditions (4-6° C; RH
75-80%) for up to six months and retain an acceptable reddish brown colour
(Puranaik et al, 2004). Recent studies carried out at Tamil Nadu
Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India, indicated that the freshly
harvested deseeded tamarind pulp can be stored for up to 330 days under
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