Kokum Juice

Looking for something refreshing in the hot summer, and you don’t want the same lemonade anymore? Then, you must try this kokum juice. This delicious and refreshing Goan beverage is ideal for a hot summer day.

What is Kokum?

Kokam is a fruit related to mangosteen that has culinary and therapeutic applications. It is indigenous to southern India, and the ripe fruit is dark and purplish in color. Garcinia Indica is its botanical name. 

It is a little fruit, similar to a cherry tomato. When they are tender, they turn green. They turn scarlet when they begin to mature and intensify to purple when fully ripened. When the fruit is quite ripe, the seeds have a white fleshy coating on them, and the color changes to a bit transparent. When these seeds ripen, they have an agreeable flavor and a sweetish acid taste. 

The fruit’s outer covering is dried and utilized in the culinary world to provide a sour flavor to meals. In some regions of the country, it is also known as Aamsol. Aside from cooking, it is commonly used to produce delectable kokum sharbat. Dried kokum can be kept in an airtight jar for about a year. Kokum oil/butter is made from sun-dried seeds. Kokum oil is edible and can be used for a variety of purposes other than cooking. It is frequently used in cosmetics to produce lipsticks, balms, and skin lotions.

Benefits of Kokum 

• Kokum is a storehouse of antioxidants

• It has loads of vitamin C, so it slows down aging
• Helps boost immunity
• It is effective in nourishing our skin. 
• It also helps fight inflammation.

So, let’s learn how to prepare kokum juice. 

Notable Ingredients At A Glance

Kokum – This recipe calls for dry kokum, which can be found in any Indian grocery store. Because it contains no seeds, the semi-dried type is equally excellent. You can even make this sharbat with fresh kokum.

Sweetener – You can use jaggery powder or sugar as per your liking. It is advisable to add the specified amount to balance out the sourness of the kokum. You can always modify the sweetener amount to your liking.

Lime/lemon Juice – I have added a few drops of lemon to add an extra zing. 

Salt – To balance the flavor.

How To Prepare Kokum Juice?

Soak the dried kokum for 2 hours in a glass of water. 

After 2 hours, drain the water and stir in the jaggery. Mix thoroughly. Mix in the lime juice, salt, and the remaining water. 

Pour the juice into glasses after straining it in a jug.

You can add ice if desired. I didn’t use ice because I used cold water instead.

On a hot summer afternoon, sip refreshing Kokum juice and relax. 

Some Expert Tips To Prepare Kokum Juice

• This juice should not be made with salty kokum.
• After creating the syrup, keep it in the refrigerator. Because there are no preservatives in it, refrigeration will keep it fresh.
• Depending on how sour the kokum is, adjust the amount of sugar.
• Depending on your taste, you can also add 1 teaspoon of cardamom powder.