Agua de Tamarindo- Tamarind Beverage Using Tamarind Pods

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Prepare the tamarind by removing the brittle outer shell and pull off as many strings as you can and discard the shell and strings. After the water comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and place the inner portion of the tamarind and the sugar in the water. Let the tamarind soak for about an hour and 30 minutes. The water should be cooled down. Use your fingers to squeeze out the hard seeds and remove the remaining strings and discard them. Place the liquid and remaining pulp into a blender and blend until the pulp is fully blended into the water. You may want to run the liquid through a fine seive to remove any extra pulp.