Tepache (Made with pineapple rinds)

Tepache Recipe

Ingredients

• The skin of one pineapple
• 4 cones of pilloncillo
• 4 cloves
• 1 stick of cinnamon (preferably Mexican canela or Ceylon cinnamon) 
• Approx. 6 cups filtered water

Wash pineapple well and then cut away the skin. Eat the delicious pineapple as you won’t be using it in this recipe! 

Bring water to a boil and add cinnamon, cloves, and pilloncillo.  Stir until pilloncillo dissolves. Turn off heat and allow mixture to cool COMPLETELY. 

Put pineapple peel and cooled water mixture (with cinnamon and cloves) in a large jar. You want the jar to be full so add more water if necessary. Cover jar with a piece of cloth tied with rubber band (or canning lid with center removed as pictured below). 

Put the jar in a warm sunny place. I put mine outside. Wait several days until bubbles start to form. Taste. You want a kombucha-like flavor—a bit tangy. If the taste is still overwhelmingly sweet, it is not done. Wait a few more days and taste again…Depending on the weather and other factors it can take anywhere from 3-10 days to get your brew going. You need to taste it regularly. 

Once you get the flavor you want, strain the tepache and put it in the refrigerator.  I like to let the tepache “rest” in refrigerator a few days before drinking as I think the flavor continues to develop and mellow. 

To serve, you can add sweetener or some lime juice as desired. It tastes best with ice. If it is too strong, you can water it down a bit. 

NOTE: Don’t throw away the pineapple rind after making the tepache. You can make another batch oftepache with the same rinds!  The second batch is often even more tasty than the first. You can even try a third batch, but you start to get diminishing returns.