Tepache

4.60 from 5 votes

Tepache is a wonderful, effervescent, lightly fermented pineapple beverage popular in Mexico. It is made from the skins and core of pineapple; you can enjoy the fresh pineapple flesh and also make use of the parts typically discarded in order to enjoy it over a longer period of time.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Total Time3 15

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Fermented Drinks

Servings: Servings (about 1 quart)

Author: Ashley Adamant

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar ideally piloncillo or dark brown sugar, but white sugar will work, see notes
1 Medium Pineapple
Just the Peel and Core, eat the rest of the fruit,  cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
1 Medium cinnamon stick
optional, and/or a  few whole cloves and/or other spices
4 to 5 cups filtered or non-chlorinated water enough to fill a 1/2 gallon jar with 2 inches of headspace
4 whole cloves optional
4 whole allspice berries

Instructions

Rinse the pineapple gently under cool water and pat dry. Do not scrub it; the wild yeast that ferments tepache lives on the skin.
Slice off the leafy crown and discard. Stand the pineapple upright and cut the skin away in long vertical strips, keeping a thin layer of yellow flesh attached. Cut out the inner core. Reserve the inner flesh for another use.
Add the pineapple skin and core to a 1/2 gallon (64 oz) wide mouth mason jar. Add the sugar, cinnamon stick, and any optional spices.
Pour cool water over everything until the jar is mostly full, leaving 2 inches of headspace at the top (about 4 to 5 cups of water).
Cover the jar loosely with a clean cloth and rubber band, or with a silicone pickle pipe. Do not seal tightly; carbon dioxide builds up during fermentation.
Set the jar somewhere out of direct sunlight at room temperature (68 to 75 F). Ferment for 2 days in warm weather or 3 days in cooler weather, until you see steady bubbling and a light foam on top.
Strain the tepache through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. For a clearer drink, strain a second time through cheesecloth.
Pour into clean glass bottles, leaving an inch of headspace. Refrigerate immediately to stop the fermentation and lock in the carbonation.
Serve cold over ice. Yields about 1 quart. Best within 1 to 2 weeks.

Notes

Pineapple: A ripe pineapple is essential. The base should smell sweet, the leaves should pull out easily, and the fruit should give slightly when pressed.

Sugar substitutions: Piloncillo is traditional and gives the deepest flavor; dark brown sugar is the easiest substitute. Granulated sugar works but produces a thinner-tasting drink. Honey can be substituted at 1/2 cup raw honey; use a darker honey for closer-to-traditional flavor.

Sweeter version: For a sweeter finished drink, increase the sugar up to 1 cup. The wild yeast will happily eat the extra. Most of the sugar is consumed during the 2 to 3 day ferment regardless, so the finished drink is much less sweet than the starting liquid.

Water: If your tap water has a strong chlorine smell, leave it uncovered overnight before using or use filtered water. Chlorine can slow or stall the wild yeast.

Headspace and pressure safety: Leave at least 2 inches of headspace at the top of the fermenting jar, and never seal the jar tightly during the 2 to 3 day ferment. A loose cloth, a pickle pipe, or a screw lid set on top without tightening all let the gas escape safely.

White film on top: A thin, papery, off-white film that appears after the first day or two is harmless kahm yeast — skim it off before straining. Real spoilage looks different: fuzzy, raised mold in green, blue, black, or pink. If you see fuzzy colored mold, discard the batch.

Storage: Refrigerated tepache keeps for 1 to 2 weeks. Flavor is brightest in the first week. Open bottles carefully; the carbonation can be lively.

Variations: See the post for spiced (extra cloves and allspice), ginger, honey, whole-pineapple, and tepache de jamaica (hibiscus) variations.

Nutrition