Tepache
I like when my food glows in the dark. [Photo Credit: Alex Paternostro]
by Seth Paternostro
November 27, 2021
Some people like tepache: “It tastes like sweet pineapple beer!”
Others might say: “This tastes like paste.”
You decide.
Makes about 2 quarts
Total time
3 days
Equipment:
Cutting board, chef’s knife or cleaver, large glass fermentation jar, mixing spoon, measuring cup, large mixing bowl, fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, fermentation bottles or quart jars
Tableware:
cups
Ingredients
1 ripe pineapple
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup palm sugar
1 cinnamon stick
8 cups warm water, or as needed
Instructions
Set out the cutting board, chef’s knife or cleaver, large glass fermentation jar, mixing spoon, and measuring cup. Thoroughly clean, and dry the jar.
Combine the sugars, cinnamon stick, and water in the jar, then stir to dissolve the sugars.
Rinse the pineapple, and remove the top and bottom. Leave the skin on.
Roughly chop, then add to the jar.
Ferment in a dark place at room temperature (or around 70°F) for 2 to 3 days, or until the mixture is slightly bubbly and smells faintly alcoholic.
Rinse the cheesecloth, then filter the solids out of the tepache through the cheesecloth set in a fine mesh strainer.
Pour the tepache into fermentation bottles or quart jars, and ferment at room temperature for 1 day.
Place in the refrigerator, and enjoy chilled.
NUTRITION FACTS:
Calories 321 Total Fat 0.3g (0%) Saturated Fat 0g (0%) Cholesterol 0mg (0%) Sodium 91mg (4%) Total Carbohydrate 84.6g (31%) Dietary Fiber 31g (11%) Total Sugars 69.1g Protein 1.2g Vitamin D 0mcg (0%) Calcium 58mg (4%) Iron 1mg (5%) Potassium 275mg (6%) - Note: Please read our Nutrition Disclaimer.
Seth Paternostro is a writer and recipe developer based in Chicago. He is a co-founder of Our American Cuisine and graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. in East Asian Studies. You can learn more about him here.
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