10 Signs That Tell Your Tamarind Has Gone Bad

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Tamarind is a pod-like shaped fruit that many cultures use to make various dishes and candies. It can come in a paste, block, and even concentrate.

The whole pod fruit is often sold in many stores as well. Depending on how you prefer your tamarind, there is always a concern it may go bad.

It can be in a dried pod, jar, pouch, frozen, or refrigerator; however you purchase your tamarind, the risk is always inevitable.

Like most food products, tamarind has a shelf life and can go bad for various reasons. If you are new to using tamarind, it may be difficult to distinguish if the tamarind product is going bad.

Even some basic signs like an expiration date or visual inspection may not be enough to tell you if your tamarind is rancid.

We have composed a list of tips and signs tamarind may present. Here are the top 10 signs to look for to ensure you are consuming a safe product.

1. Visible Signs of Mold

Mold is always a sign of food that is going bad. No matter the product, when you see mold, this is a sign to throw it away.

Mold can cause a variety of issues such as watery eyes, sneezing, itching, and wheezing, and sometimes it may disrupt the gastrointestinal tract, causing an upset stomach.

Tamarind is no different. It can grow mold on the surface and within the product. One of the top reasons mold will grow is if it is not stored correctly.

Sometimes a product may not have all it needs to preserve its shelf life, specifically if you have made a fresh batch of paste. This occurs because the level of humidity tamarind needs to stay fresh slowly diminishes, and the conditions become unstable for the product.

2. Foul Odor

If you know a food is close to being spoiled, you may attempt to smell the item to determine if its fresh.

Most people have a habit of doing this and for a good reason. It is so easy for fresh products to go bad even overnight.

So, smell your tamarind. If it smells like its sweet acidic fragrance, you are clear, but if it smells more like vinegar, be aware and take caution when proceeding to use the product.

Related: What Is Tamarind Paste?

3. Rust on Container

Depending on the type of packaging, your product may start to show signs of rust. If you get your tamarind in a jar or tin can, you may see some rust on the lid.

Most rust that builds on your food container’s growth is initiated by a fungus that needs water. If not caught in time, the rust can begin to eat away at the container causing tiny holes to form, further spoiling your tamarind.

Please consume with caution as even small amounts of rust consumed can be dangerous. Not to mention the lid most likely is unusable and, if used, can cause the product not to close correctly, causing it to spoil even more.

4. Change in Texture

When visually inspecting tamarind, you should look for a paste-like texture. It should be a texture that can be easily worked with.

If your tamarind paste is spoiled, the texture will begin to harden and be less sticky than when it was fresh.

It might be challenging to get your desired amount out of the jar or container and, most notably, challenging to even emulsify.

Thus, if your tamarind paste is difficult to work with, it’s better to toss it out. No good will come from a dish with hardened tamarind paste.

Related: Does Tamarind Paste Go Bad?

5. Past Expiration Date

Now for this next one, it may be so difficult to pay attention to this date, but it is on the packaging for a reason. Not all, but some people may ignore the date if their tamarind does not meet any of the other appalling signs.

Most often, the date on food packaging means food should still be safe to eat if stored and handled correctly by this date.

Most products you see use various phrases such as sell-by, use-by, fresh-by. It is also more commonly stated explicitly like say, exp.-date.

Depending on the product, some companies state that the date is a guideline for when a product starts losing its freshness but is still good to use if no signs of spoiling have occurred.

That notwithstanding, you should review the tamarind for other characteristics like odor, texture, and taste.

Always check your tamarind’s expiration date, and try to use all the products or freeze any leftovers. If you know your tamarind was not stored correctly, this date may be insignificant in determining its usability. Use your best judgment when reviewing this data and the use of your tamarind.

6. Bad Taste

Bad Tamarind may be difficult to tell by taste alone. Since this product already tastes slightly acidic and bitter, it may be difficult to distinguish by flavor if it is bad.

However, if you have acquired a taste for tamarind, then you will be able to taste the difference. If you are concerned that your product may have gone rancid, taste a small amount.

Some have reported that if a product was made with unripened tamarind, it will have little to no flavor and will taste more bitter and sour.

Unfortunately, sometimes you can purchase a product that was already made with poor ingredients, or the package was already damaged, so it’s always safe to taste your tamarind if you are concerned.

Related: What Is Tamarind Puree?

7. Leaking Container

Now this one may be specific to jars or containers, but it is a good sign to look for before tasting. If your container is leaking or oozing, this may be a sign your tamarind has gone bad.

This can happen for one or two reasons. One very common cause of leaking is that it had not been closed properly. This means that the tamarind was not properly stored.

Another reason it may be leaking is that it has gone completely rotten, and the acidity of the product has started to build up pressure causing it to force its way out through the lid.

8. Change in Color

One clear sign to watch out for is a change in color of your tamarind. Thee color of your tamarind can determine if your product is bad.

How your tamarind is made will determine what color signs to look out for. Traditionally, unripened tamarind is green, and the ripened fruits are a light-brown color.

For most tamarind paste-type products you purchase, the color will be more to the light-brown side.

So if you visually inspect your product and realize the color has changed to dark brown or even black colored, steer clear of using this in your recipe.

9. Reduction in Size

If the variety you have on hand is a block or fresh pods, you can tell by the size whether or not it is going bad.

This might not pertain to the products found in jars or pouch-like packaging, but it can also be considered if you have doubts about whether your tamarind is bad.

The size will start to shrink and harden. Please pay attention to the size because once it starts to shrink, you may want to toss it out.

10. Seed Exposure

This sign may not apply to all, but if the tamarind in question has seeds, you can always use this tip. There are some products that have tamarind seeds, and if you start to see the seeds slowly expose themselves, the tamarind is going bad.

Usually, the products with seeds are the same ones that will shrink, which will slowly squeeze the seeds by pushing them out to the top of the product. It will start to harden as well.

So this variety will show almost all the signs of going bad.

Final Notes

Going through these tips will allow you to investigate your product and determine its usability.

Sometimes the spoiling of your tamarind can come at the wrong time, and you may even ignore the warning signs and be just fine after consuming the tamarind, but that does not mean it’s safe to eat.

If you are preparing a meal and just had no idea your tamarind was spoiled, there are alternatives than risking consuming the expired or spoiled tamarind.

Instead, try a tamarind paste alternative. Many of the ingredients used in the alternative recipes can be found in most pantries.

Remember that no recipe is worth using spoiled tamarind for, and the quality of your dish will seem less appealing.

Take every precaution when storing and when in doubt, freeze or seal in an airtight container.

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