Tepache is a Mexican fermented sweet drink that was originally made from corn. The word tepache comes from the Nahuatl word tepiatl (“tepi” meaning soft corn and “-atl” meaning water).
Some Mexican states like Guerrero, Oaxaca, Queretaro, Yucatan, among others, still make it in the traditional way with corn, but most in most places in Mexico you’ll find it made with other sweet fruits like pineapple, apple, guava, prickly pear, and orange. Tepache de piña (pineapple tepache) is the most common and is made by fermenting the pineapple rind with piloncillo (raw cane sugar) or brown sugar and flavored with cinnamon. It’s great to sip chilled on a hot day!
Since this is a fermented beverage, the amount of sugar you use is going to determine the amount of alcohol produced (fun fact: if you leave it to ferment for a long time, it’ll eventually become vinegar!).
I had some overripe pineapple lying around, so I decided to make my own version. I also wanted to try and make it refined-sugar free, so I only used coconut sugar (and not a lot of it). It still came out sweet and delicious, probably due to the fact that I included the pineapple pulp as well as the rind. I recommend doing this, as the pineapple has a lot of natural sugars in it that you don’t want to waste.
It’s super simple and incredibly delicious, you have to try it out for yourself!
Before you start any kind of fermenting, it’s important to understand these basic rules that apply to all fermentation processes to ensure a safe environment and safe food.
Clean and sanitize your workspace before doing anything else. You can use hot water and soap, white distilled vinegar, or at least 60% alcohol.
Sanitize your fermenting jar and any tools you’ll be using. To do this, you can either run everything through the dishwasher or place your jar and tools into a pot full of boiling water and boil for 5 minutes.
Wash your hands thoroughly.
Instead of pineapple, you could ferment another fruit like apple, guava, orange, or prickly pear.
For this tepache, you’re only going to need:
sterilized 1.5-gallon glass jar with a lid
cheesecloth
In addition to just drinking it (which is great in itself), you can also use this tepache in other drinks, cocktails, or even in your vinaigrettes!
1500ml water
100g coconut sugar
532g pineapple pulp + rind, cleaned (from 1 pineapple)
43g cinnamon sticks (about 1-2 sticks)
5 cloves
1/2 piece star anise
Place water in a large bowl and add coconut sugar. Whisk to dissolve.
Transfer into your sterilized jar and add all other ingredients. Stir with a long spoon to combine. Make sure there is an inch of space left at the top and add a piece of cheesecloth to keep the pineapple covered by the liquid.
Loosely screw on the lid and let ferment at room temperature (ideally 60-75ºF) for 3 days. Taste everyday to see how flavor evolves (make sure you always use a clean utensil).
After 3 days, drain and transfer to a smaller jar to store in the fridge. Serve chilled, over ice. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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