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Tepache
Tepache: pineapple peel fermented for a few days with piloncillo and cinnamon into a lightly fizzy, sweet-sour drink served over ice
In Guadalajara and markets across central Mexico, tepacheros sell this drink from big clay jars, ladled over ice into bags with a straw on hot afternoons. It is the thrifty drink of the house: the peel and core left after eating a pineapple are fermented for two or three days with piloncillo, cinnamon and cloves until the liquid turns golden, faintly fizzy and pleasantly sour, like a spiced pineapple cider. Wild yeasts from the peel do the work, so it makes a trace of alcohol, well under 1% when drunk young; the longer it sits, the sourer and more alcoholic it gets. The common mistake is leaving it too long in a warm kitchen, when it turns vinegary and cloudy; in hot weather check after 36 hours. It is ready when it has a layer of fine bubbles, smells sweet-sour and fruity, and tastes tart rather than syrupy. White, flat foam can be skimmed; fuzzy, coloured mould, a slimy texture or a rotten smell mean throw it away. Keep it in the fridge 3–5 days, and if you bottle it for fizz, burp the bottles daily so pressure cannot build. Chef's tip: use an organic pineapple and do not scrub the peel, as the yeasts live on its skin.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the tepache
- 1 pineapple peel and corefrom 1 ripe, preferably organic pineapple, about 400 g
- 9 oz piloncilloor 220 g dark brown sugar plus 1 tbsp molasses
- 1 cinnamon stickMexican canela if possible
- 8 ¼ cups water
To serve
- 24 ice cubes (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Wash a 3-litre glass jar or crock with hot soapy water, rinse well and let it drain dry.
5 minStep 2: Put 9 oz piloncillo, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 whole cloves and 500 ml of the 2 cups water in a pan. Warm over medium heat, stirring, for about 8 minutes, until the piloncillo has completely dissolved. Leave to cool to room temperature.
10 minStep 3: Rinse 1 pineapple peel and core briefly under cool water without scrubbing and cut the peel into large pieces. Put peel and core in the jar.
5 minStep 4: Pour in the cooled syrup with its spices and the remaining 6 ¼ cups water. Press the peel under the liquid. Cover with a cloth tied on with string.
3 minStep 5: Leave at room temperature (20–77°F) for 2–3 days. After the first day, skim off any white foam. It is ready when fine bubbles rise, it smells fruity and sour, and it tastes more tart than sweet.
5 minStep 6: Strain through a sieve into a jug and discard the peel and spices. For extra fizz, pour into a plastic bottle, close and leave 12–24 hours at room temperature, squeezing it to check: when firm, release the pressure and refrigerate.
5 minStep 7: Keep in the fridge and drink within 3–5 days, opening sealed bottles daily to release pressure. Serve very cold over 24 ice cubes; dilute with a little water if it is too sour.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 105 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tepache take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
- What can I use instead of whole cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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