When to pick Tamarind pods

[JF Paso]

My sweet and sour tamarind trees are loaded with big, thick, brown pods.  When I scratch them they are still green underneath, however they have been on the tree for months.  How do I know when to pick them?

[pineislander]

I usually try to crush them the pulp will recede from the shell and dry out then the shell becomes brittle and can be broken into. Be aware Florida has a weevil which gets in and destroys the pulp if not propmtly harvested. In other tropical places I've seen them hang on forever and still be good, but here they can get infested.

[JF Paso]

Thank you!

[JF Paso]

First sweet tamarind pods to ripen.  Most of the others are still green when scratched.  This had a grey tinge and cracked when squeezed like Pineislander mentioned.  Hopefully the rest will follow soon. The taste is interesting, savory, sweet tart, refreshing.  Both sweet and sour tamarind trees are loaded, so I need to find a lot of uses quickly lol

[TropicalFruitSeeker]

Amazing! How big is your tree? I was thinking about getting a sweet tamarind, but I can only grow things in pots under 8ft.

[achetadomestica]

My friend has a sweet type loaded with pods now. She shakes them and
if they are ripe they rattle around inside as the pulp recedes. I can't figure out
if I like them but I can't stop eating them.