Have you ever bought a fresh pineapple and wondered if there was a way to utilize all the rind? If you’re a fan of kombucha, try your hand at homemade pineapple tepache. It’s easier and faster to make tepache than kombucha. This fermented drink is full of enzymes like bromelain from pineapple and probiotics from the fermentation process, which can support digestion. Make sure to taste the mixture often to find the perfect blend of sweet and tart. Serve as a refreshing sparkling drink or use it full-strength in your next homemade vinaigrette.
Makes 4-6 cups
Total time: 10 minutes, plus 1-5 days to ferment
Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 whole pineapple
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 cups warm filtered water
- Cold filtered water
Directions
- Lightly rinse pineapple then cut off rind, leaving about a half inch of fruit on rind. Use remaining fruit for snacking or another use.
- Dissolve sugar in the warm water and allow to cool. Place the pineapple rind and ginger in a 2-quart jar. Add the sugar mixture and additional cold water to cover rinds.
- Use a fermentation weight to keep rind submerged during fermentation. Cover jar opening with cheesecloth secured with a rubber band.
- Place jar in a cool, dark place for up to five days. Taste daily until mixture has fermented to your taste. When done, strain it, and store in a clean jar in the fridge.
- To serve, mix finished tepache with plain sparkling water (about a 1:3 ratio of tepache to water) or serve over ice.