Carob juice
June 20, 2014 • Category: Beverages
The Holy Month of Ramadan is just around the corner. Normally during that time, stores in Beirut ( Middle-Eastern ones in the US and Canada) fill-up with traditional juices, such as tamarind, jellab, amardeen (apricot), all known to be hearty and nutritious.
There were a couple of carob trees in the orchard and Salah (gentleman farmer) started telling me how in his native Egypt folks drink carob juice. Not only does it taste good (like drinking cold chocolate), but it has subtantial health benefits: full of fiber, protein, antioxidants, plus it keeps one from getting thirsty or hungry, in short, it is the perfect drink to sustain you for the long hours of fasting.
In Lebanon, making carob molasses is traditional; I had not seen carob juice anywhere. I had to try to make some juice out of the big basket of carob pods that we picked (well, mostly Salah) that day.
Making juice is easy.
If you do not have access to the carob pods, an even easier alternative is to dilute a tablespoon of carob molasses (debs el-kharroub) which is sold in all Middle-Eastern stores and online, add a teaspoon of brown sugar and drink it in the morning. Delicious! (The taste of chocolate, minus the caffeine!)
INGREDIENTS: one quart
- 1 lb carob pods, washed and air-dried on a towel
- 2 cups of brown or raw sugar
- 8 cups of water
1. Place the carob pods in a large soup pot. Add the water and simmer gently until the pods are malleable, about 45 minutes.
2.Remove them from the pot, break them up and put them back in the pot with the sugar. Bring back to a simmer and let them bubble gently for another 45 minutes. Strain and cool. Place in the fridge and serve cold. Add more water to the juice if it is too sweet to your taste.
NOTE: If you can, go ahead and break-up the carob pods first; I was unable to, I guess I need to beef-up my finger muscles. 🙂
Comments
9 Comments • Comments Feed
Serena says:
Ciao! I have never had sharab al kharroub but I can’t wait to taste sharab al tout as soon as tout will be ripe!
On June 20, 2014 at 2:27 pm
leaf says:
I like carob, so this beverage sounds right up my alley. 🙂
On June 21, 2014 at 5:39 am
Kathy says:
This juice sounds so interesting. Since we have no carob trees around here I will put the carob molasses on my shopping list for my next visit to the Lebanese market.
On June 21, 2014 at 5:55 am
marlene says:
hello !
this juice sounds great !
i have a question : where do you get your zaatar in lebanon ?
good evening
On June 22, 2014 at 8:14 am
Joumana says:
@marlene: I make it myself or I buy it @souk el-tayyeb, bread basket in Hamra, from a small dairy in Deir el-Kamar, etc. usually from people I know who make it themselves. I adjust the sumac and sesame later. Abu Kassem from Zawtar sells also @Bread Republic on tuesdays in Hamra. His zaatar is excellent/
On June 22, 2014 at 9:02 pm
Susan says:
This is a beverage I know I would enjoy if I could get it! The molasses must be heavenly also.
On June 26, 2014 at 9:25 am
Christina says:
Hi there,
Where can I buy carob pods in Lebanon? I haven’t seen them anywhere!
Thank you 🙂
On April 13, 2017 at 2:24 pm
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On May 18, 2020 at 6:56 pm