Tepache is a delicious fermented beverage made from the peel and the rind of pineapples. Fermented drinks are where it’s at and so much better for us than sodas. Be sure to do the second ferment once you bottle your tepache and you’ll get good carbonation.
HABANERO TEPACHE
Yield:
4 Bottles
Ingredients
- 1 Full Pineapple, unpeeled, cut into cubes
- 8 cups Warm Water
- 1 cup Organic Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Ginger, chopped
- 1 Habanero pepper, sliced
- (2, if you like that sort of thing)
Instructions
- First Ferment - Cut up the whole pineapple peel, rind, and all into small pieces. Throw the crown and bottom away, you’ll be using everything else. Place half of the pineapple pieces into a large 1-gallon glass jar. Pour in four cups of warm water. Add brown sugar and ginger. Cover and shake. Add the remainder of the pineapple pieces and habanero then fill the jar within two inches of the rim.
- Use a wooden spoon to push the pineapple down in the jar. Go ahead smash ’em. It’ll feel good.
- If you do not have fermentation weights – and really who does? – take a gallon freezer bag and pour some water in it. Use this to weigh down your pineapple to make sure everything is submerged in the water.
- Lightly cover and place the filled jar into a bowl. Put in the pantry on the shelf for two to three days.
- Second Ferment - Check for white bubbles after two days. If no bubbles leave one more day. After the first ferment, remove the jar from the pantry. Now you will bottle the tepache to allow for a second ferment of one day. Strain everything out of the tepache and set it aside. Pour the liquid into bottles. I use these bottles because I like the flip top which makes it easy to check for carbonation.
- After the second ferment place bottles in the refrigerator. Drink within 2 weeks.
