Break the tamarind block into smaller pieces using your hands and place them in a large, heat-resistant mixing bowl. Pour the hot water over the tamarind and let it soak until it is cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes or more if needed. Allowing it to soak longer will make the next step easier.

Using clean, preferably gloved hands, squeeze and knead the tamarind pieces to separate the pulp from the fibers. Aim for a smoothie-like consistency—slightly thinner is fine, but if it appears too thick, add a little more water to make it easier to work with.

Once most of the pulp feels loosened, strain the tamarind mixture through a sieve into a pot. A coarse sieve works best as the paste can be thick, making it difficult to push through a fine-mesh sieve. Press the mixture firmly, scraping the underside of the sieve occasionally to capture as much pulp as possible.

If the mixture is still too thick to strain easily, do not hesitate to add more water. Some tamarind brands are denser and require additional liquid to achieve the right consistency.

Pour approximately ½ cup of room temperature water over the remaining fibers in the sieve while stirring with your hand. This helps extract any leftover tamarind, ensuring nothing goes to waste.

The paste can be used immediately for cooking, but for storage, heat the strained tamarind paste over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble. Stir continuously to prevent splattering, as the thick paste can pop and splash during boiling. Allow it to bubble for 4-5 minutes to ensure it is thoroughly heated before removing it from the heat.

Transfer the hot tamarind paste into clean mason jars, ideally with a capacity of 1 cup or smaller. Smaller jars minimize the time each jar remains open during use. Seal the jars tightly while the paste is still hot, and let them cool to room temperature before storing them in the refrigerator. As the jars cool, the lids will seal tightly, creating a vacuum effect similar to that of jam. However, since the paste is not fully canned, it must be refrigerated.

For longer storage, freeze the tamarind paste in ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to freezer bags for convenient portioning.