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Bilimbi Squash

A delicious concentrate made out of the Bilimbi fruit is a quick fix for a refreshing drink to beat the heat!
Course Beverages
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 16
Author Shireen Sequeira @ www.ruchikrandhap.com

Ingredients

  • 500 grams bilimbi
  • 2-3 drops of green food colour optional
  • 1 teaspoon citric acid or salt
  • For the sugar syrup
  • sugar (see instructions)
  • water (see instructions)

Instructions

  • Remove the leaves and stems of the bilimbi fruit & wash in 2-3 changes of water.
  • Drain and then pat them dryWithout using any water, grind the fruit to a fine paste. You can chop the fruit if required.
  • Strain the paste into a bowl. Squeeze the pulp to extract as much juice as possible. You can grind the pulp again to remove more juice but it is not necessary.
  • Add 2-3 drops of the green food colour (optional) and stir.
  • Weigh the juice in grams using a kitchen weighing scale. We need to take an equal amount of sugar (in grams). I got approximately 350 grams of juice and I used 350 grams of sugar which is 1-3/4th cups. Now in the ratio of 1:1, take an equal amount of water (in volume = cups), so I used 1-3/4th cups of water.
  • To make the syrup, place the sugar & water in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar and then let the mixture thicken on a medium low heat till you get a one string consistency. This process can take around 12-15 minutes so have patience. To check the consistency, take a drop of the syrup and cool it for a few seconds. Dab the liquid between your thumb and index finger and press them together. When you release the two fingers, a delicate thread should form between the fingers. When this consistency has been achieved, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
  • When the syrup cools down to room temperature, add the juice to it and mix well.
  • Store the mixture in a clean, dry & sterile bottle.
  • To prepare the drink, dilute 2 tablespoons of the mixture in 200 ml of water, plain or chilled. Stir and serve! You can also use sparkling water or unflavoured soda to give this drink a special twist!