Tepache: A Wonderful Summertime Drink
Written by Ilona Biro, Volunteer
Tepache (tay-pah-chay) is a versatile summer drink that has become a go-to beverage in my house since I ‘discovered’ it last fall. It hails from Mexico, where you can spot carts selling tepache, along with Jamaica and Horchata and other delicious and refreshing drinks. Lately, it has also caught on in North America where some craft breweries are making their own versions, but there’s no reason why you can’t make it at home!
It makes good use of all the bits that are leftover after cutting up a pineapple, turning all those pineapple rinds and cores into a healthy, probiotic-rich drink that tastes great, while keeping your gut in awesome shape. It provides healthy doses of B vitamins and polyphenols and is a great boost to your immune system.
Tepache is sometimes compared to kombucha, but it is much easier to make since it doesn’t require anything more than pineapple leftovers, water, spices, and a sweetener. I often have a jar brewing on my kitchen counter and adore its slightly fizzy taste, kicked up a notch with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and whatever else I toss in from my spice rack. I finish it off with plenty of lemon or lime juice and a sweetener.
Lately, I’ve added monk fruit sugar for an almost zero-calorie drink, but I’ve also used maple syrup, honey, and cane sugar – they all work well. Although it’s a fermented drink, it is not high in alcohol, and in Mexico, tepache is enjoyed by all ages. It can get to 3 percent alcohol if you let it go for 4 or 5 days, but after that, it turns into vinegar – so keep that in mind as you watch it brew!
Ingredients:
Cores and skins of one pineapple, washed
2-3 litres of cold water
2 cinnamon sticks
6-8 whole cloves, crushed (optional)
1 tsp peppercorns, crushed (optional)
3 star anise (optional)
1 tbsp ginger root, sliced (optional)
2 tbsp honey, maple syrup or cane sugar
How to make Tepache:
After cutting up a pineapple, save all the rinds and cores.
Give them a good rinse under the tap and pop them into a large jar.
Add spices of your choice (cinnamon bark, cloves, star anise, cardamom, black pepper, etc.), a little sweetener to jumpstart the fermentation, and fill the jar up with water.
Cover loosely and keep it somewhere warm or at least room temperature for a couple of days. Once you see the bubbles forming on top, you’ll know you’re in business.
On day 3 or 4, strain the liquid, add an additional sweetener of your choice along with a generous amount of lemon or lime juice. Some people like it fairly tart, but it can be sweetened up for any palate.
Enjoy over ice garnished with a lemon slice!
