Tepache

Course Drinks

Keyword fermented pineapple drink, mexican drink, tepache

Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Servings 16 cups

A lightly fermented Mexican pineapple drink with piloncillo, cinnamon, and tamarind, ready in 2 to 3 days.

Ingredients

700 g piloncillo broken into rough chunks (about 4 1/2 cups), or 700 g (about 3 1/2 cups) packed dark brown sugar
50 g peeled tamarind pods (about 3 pods)
40 g Mexican cinnamon (about 3 sticks)
1 morita chile split
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
3/4 teaspoon whole cloves
4000 g filtered water divided (about 1 gallon)
1650 g pineapple rinsed, trimmed, quartered lengthwise and cored (about 1 1/3 pineapples)

Directions

In a 2-gallon glass jar, combine the piloncillo, tamarind, cinnamon, chile, coriander, and cloves. Pour in 2,000 g of the water and stir to start dissolving the sugar.
Add the pineapple, rind and all, and the remaining 2,000 g water.
Cover the jar with cheesecloth held on with a rubber band or twine. Let it ferment in a dark spot, ideally 72°F to 74°F, for 2 to 3 days, stirring once a day with a clean spoon.
Start tasting after 2 days. It's ready when it's lightly bubbly, slightly cloudy, amber, and pleasantly tangy and fruity.
Strain it and throw away the solids. Serve it chilled.

Notes

For a fizzy drink, pour it into pressure-safe swing-top bottles, leave them at room temperature 12 to 24 hours, then refrigerate, and open them carefully since pressure builds fast. Keep tepache refrigerated and drink it within about a week. Throw it out if it looks moldy or smells rotten. Fermentation gives it a very small amount of alcohol.

Nutrition

Nutrition is an estimate per serving from USDA FoodData Central, for 16 cups; piloncillo (the first choice counted), peeled tamarind pods counted as soy sauce, Mexican cinnamon counted as metric weight. Brands and portions vary, so use it only as an approximation.