Tepache de Piña Recipe
Robust with the vibrant sweet-tart flavor of fresh pineapple and gently perfumed with cinnamon and star anise, tepache is a flavor-forward, gently effervescent drink. A short fermentation of only a few days gives this thirst-quenching drink a light effervescence and striking, dynamic flavor. Since tepache takes a few days to ferment, plan ahead.
Servings: 8 servings (2 quarts)
Calories: 49kcal
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unrefined cane sugar
- 1 large organic pineapple peel only
- 1 medium ceylon cinnamon stick
- 4 star anise pods
- ½ cup water kefir optional
Instructions
- Warm the sugar and 2 cups water in a small saucepan set over high heat. Stir them together until the sugar dissolves fully.
- While the sugar water cools, cut away the pineapple’s top and bottom. And then, discard them. Chop the peel, reserving the fruit for another purpose, and place it into a 1 gallon jar. Drop the cinnamon stick and clove into a gallon-sized jar.
- Pour the sugar water over the the pineapple, and then pour in the remaining 6 cups water and the water kefir, if using. Cover the jar, and allow the tepache to ferment for two to three days, or until bubbles and foam form at the surface of the jar. Strain away the pineapple and spices, and then pour the tepache into bottles.
- You can drink the tepache right away, or allow it to ferment in the bottle an addition 1 to 2 days. Serve over ice.
Notes
Make alcoholic tepache or vinegar. You can ferment the tepache longer, about a week or so, and it will become increasingly alcoholic. If you ferment the tepache at least a month, it will form raw pineapple vinegar.
Nutrition
Calories: 49kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 8.1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.1mg
