Making Tepache at Home

photo credit: me

You probably clicked here wondering, what on earth is tepache? Tepache is a fermented soda originating from Mexico. It can be made alcoholically, or non-alcoholically. The most basic versions of tepache call for just three ingredients: pineapple peels, piloncillo (a type of unrefined brown sugar), and water, although most recipes add a cinnamon stick and spices. It's really easy to make, and is a good use for your pineapple peels before you throw them away. It only takes 2-3 days to ferment, and is one of the simplest and shortest fermented beverages you can make at home. But don't confuse simple with boring, because tepache is a really deep beverage and oh man, it SLAPS on a hot day.

how do I make it?

First, gather these ingredients. This recipe makes about a gallon of tepache, so have an appropriate container ready, preferably a glass gallon jug. Using a plastic container is not recommended, as the acids from the fermentation can leech chemicals from the plastic.

• 1 overripe pineapple (the riper the better, as it has more sugar to ferment)
• 1 cup piloncillo, but brown sugar + a bit of molasses works fine
• 8 cups water
• spices (anything goes here, think mulled cider. i recommend 1-2 cinnamon sticks, a pinch of cloves, a few slices of fresh ginger, and some crushed mace or allspice.)

1. Stir the sugar (and molasses) in with 2 cups water over a saucepan on high until it dissolves. You can also in the spices in here to help them infuse better. If so, bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat and let it sit until it is lukewarm.
2. Place the pineapple rinds in the gallon receptacle, and the spices on top. make sure to use whole spices, not powders. you should also add the cores for more flavor, and add a few slices of the pineapple flesh for more taste and sugar.
3. pour the sugar water over the pineapple rinds, adding the rest of the water afterwards until it covers the pineapple rinds. You can weigh it down with something (i used a metal ladle and a cookiecutter which isnt ideal) preferably something like a fermentation weight so harmful bacteria don't grow in your tepache, and so the spices and pineapple stay submerged for (marginally?) better flavor.
4. cover your tepache with a cheesecloth, or literally whatever (i used a coffee filter before). It just needs to be breathable so it lets the carbonation out and keeps the bad stuff out. It is important that harmful bacteria, fungus, and dust don't get into your tepache.

Now your tepache is almost done. Let it sit in a warm, dark area to ferment for 2-3 days, or until you see foamy fizz on the of your tepache. Stir and taste daily and watch for strange looking mold. That means the yeast has been fermenting for a while, long enough to naturally carbonate your beverage. It should look something like this:

i'm done, now what?

Once you're satisfied with the flavor, strain the peel and spices from the tepache. You can serve this over ice, or refrigerate it for later. It should keep for about a week or so in the fridge. It tastes best cold. You can also add a splash of sparkling water to make it more fizzy.

secondary fermentation (optional)

If you want it to carbonate, or ferment alcoholically, then you need to undergo secondary fermentation. If you want alcoholic tepache, you should add a pinch of brewer's yeast or wine yeast to kickstart fermentation. It will turn into an alcoholic beverage (~3%-5%) which I DO NOT ENDORSE for legal reasons, especially if brewing alcohol is illegal in your locality. If left for even longer, tepache will turn into pineapple vinegar, which you could put on a salad or something.

To do this, we will be bottling the tepache in GLASS FLIPTOP FERMENTATION-GRADE BOTTLES (like the one pictured above) DO NOT USE ANY OTHER CONTAINERS AS THEY WILL EXPLODE

Make a simple sugar syrup as described below:

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup white sugar

boil the water and sugar together until the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly, until it is clear with no sugar crystals, and a bit syrupy when you life the spoon. make sure it is not too thick, or it will be hard to mix in. let it cool to lukewarm.

Spoon in about a spoonful of the sugar syrup into each bottle, then fill the bottles with the strained tepache, leaving about 3 centimeters of headspace. Seal the bottles, shake vigorously to combine and let them sit at room temperature for 2-5 days, depending on how warm your house is. The warmer it is, the faster it will ferment. You should see bubbles forming in the bottle, and the fliptop should be hard to open.

⚠️ If bubbles are forming rapidly, "burp" the bottles by opening the fliptop slightly to let out some gas, then reseal. This is not champagne, and we don't want the tepache to explode all over the place when you open it (i may have learned this the hard way).

Once you're satisfied with the carbonation, refrigerate the bottles to bring fermentation to a crawl. It should keep for quite a while in the fridge, but I recommend drinking it sooner rather than later, as the flavor and bite will degrade over time.

Serve cold, or on the rocks. Enjoy :3

- Jay

A little footnote: this is my first time trying to write a cooking tutorial, so lmk what you think. I thought it would be fun to do something about fermentation, because i like biology. You can shoot me an email at jay@loves-being-a.dev if you have any questions