Make Tepache at Home August 17 2017, 8 Comments

Do you like pineapple? If so, we've got a fun, delicious trick to make your pineapple go even farther: Tepache!

Tepache is a refreshing fermented beverage, traditionally made in Mexico from the rinds of pineapple. It's super easy to make, tastes great, and is very healthy (contains pro-biotics, like kombucha). Here's some easy instructions for fermenting Tepache:

Equipment needed

• Large (~1 gallon) glass container
• Cheesecloth, plastic wrap, or lid with an airlock
• Strainer
• Resealable bottle or growler (if you will not consume the Tepache in one sitting)

Ingredients

• Rinds from pineapple (don't save the leaves)
• 1 cup brown sugar (or, if you want to keep it uber traditional, 1 cup Piloncillo, which can be found at ethnic grocery stores)
• 2 quarts water
• 2-3 cloves (optional)
• 1 cinnamon stick or a pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)

Directions

1. Wash and then carve a pineapple (chop off top and bottom, slice off peel, remove the core of the pineapple).
2. In a large glass container, add all of your ingredients. We found it useful to stir the brown sugar into the water before adding the pineapple rind and core, cinnamon, and cloves.
3. Use the cheesecloth, loosely applied plastic wrap, or lid with an airlock to seal the container. You don't want bugs or bacteria to get in, but you don't want the container to be completely airtight.
4. Let ferment for ~3 days. If it is quite hot (over 80F) where the Tepache is brewing, you may want to only give it 2 days.
5. After 24-36 hours, check for white foam on the Tepache. If you see it, simply scrape it off.
6. After 2-3 days, strain out the chunks and either enjoy the Tepache on ice immediately or bottle it in a resealable vessel like a growler or EZ Cap flip-top bottles.
7. Store in the refrigerator.

It's a crazy easy way to get a delicious, refreshing drink with lots of pro-biotics from ingredients you have laying around the house or you would normally just throw in the compost bin!

Contact us if you have any questions. Happy fermenting!