Tepache Recipe: Turn Pineapple Scraps Into a Fizzy Drink
What Tepache Is and Where It Comes From
Tepache is a traditional Mexican fermented drink made from pineapple peels and cores, the parts most people throw away. It is lightly sweet, mildly tangy, and naturally effervescent, with a tropical flavor that tastes like a more complex, slightly sour pineapple juice. Street vendors across Mexico have been selling tepache for centuries, and it is one of the simplest and most rewarding fermented beverages you can make at home.
Ingredients You Need
The beauty of tepache is its simplicity and economy. You need the peel and core from one pineapple, which you would normally discard. Add half a cup to one cup of piloncillo, which is unrefined Mexican cane sugar, or substitute with brown sugar. You will also need about eight cups of water, a cinnamon stick, and optionally a few whole cloves. That is the entire ingredient list for a drink that costs several dollars per bottle at specialty stores.
The Fermentation Process
Combine the pineapple pieces, sugar, cinnamon, and water in a large jar or pitcher. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Cover loosely with a cloth and let it ferment at room temperature for two to three days. In warm weather, it may be ready in just 36 hours. You will see bubbles forming on the surface and the liquid will become slightly cloudy with a sweet and tangy aroma. Taste it daily. When it has a pleasant balance of sweetness and tang with light fizz, it is ready.
Straining and Serving
Strain out the pineapple pieces, cinnamon, and cloves. Pour the tepache into bottles or a pitcher and refrigerate. Serve cold over ice with a squeeze of lime. Some people add a splash of beer to their tepache, which is a traditional serving style in parts of Mexico. The drink keeps in the refrigerator for about a week, though it continues to slowly ferment and may become more sour over time.
Variations and Tips
Experiment with adding other fruits during fermentation, such as tamarind, guava, or mango. You can also add fresh ginger or jalapeño for a spicy kick. If you want more carbonation, bottle the strained tepache in swing-top bottles and leave at room temperature for an additional day before refrigerating. Be careful with this step, as tepache can build pressure quickly due to its high sugar content. Burp the bottles periodically to prevent explosions.
Getting the Best Pineapple for Tepache
The quality of your pineapple directly affects the quality of your tepache. Look for a pineapple that smells sweet and fragrant at the base, feels firm but gives slightly when pressed, and has green, fresh-looking leaves. An unripe pineapple with no aroma will produce a flat, uninteresting tepache. An overripe pineapple that is soft and mushy can introduce off flavors and ferment unpredictably.
The peel is where most of the wild yeast and bacteria live, which is why tepache uses the parts of the pineapple that are normally discarded. This makes tepache one of the most economical fermented beverages you can make. Eat the flesh of the pineapple as a snack and use the peels and core for your tepache. You get a delicious fruit to eat and a fermented drink from the scraps.
Organic pineapples are preferred because conventionally grown pineapples may have been treated with chemicals that reduce the natural microbial population on the peel. If organic is not available, scrub the pineapple peel thoroughly under running water before using it. This removes surface residues while leaving enough wild yeast in the textured crevices of the peel to start fermentation.
Flavor Variations and Additions
Classic tepache uses cinnamon and piloncillo or brown sugar, but the drink is wonderfully adaptable. Adding a few slices of fresh ginger along with the cinnamon creates a spicier, more warming version that is particularly good during cooler weather. A halved jalapeno added to the jar produces a tepache with a subtle heat that builds as you drink, creating a uniquely refreshing experience.
Fruit additions can change the character of your tepache entirely. Adding a handful of sliced strawberries or a cup of mango chunks along with the pineapple creates a tropical fruit tepache that tastes like a natural fruit punch. Tamarind pods added to the fermentation produce a tangier, more complex version that is popular in some regions of Mexico. Hibiscus flowers steeped alongside the pineapple create a stunning pink tepache with floral notes.
For a more alcoholic version, let the tepache ferment for four to five days instead of the usual two to three. The extended fermentation consumes more sugar and produces more alcohol, resulting in a beverage with roughly two to three percent alcohol, similar to a light beer. This longer fermentation also produces more carbonation and a drier, less sweet flavor profile that some people prefer.
Tepache can also serve as a cocktail mixer. Its natural sweetness, acidity, and tropical flavor make it an excellent base for rum cocktails, tequila drinks, or simply mixed with sparkling water for a sophisticated non-alcoholic spritzer. Keep a batch in the refrigerator during summer months and you will reach for it constantly.