Tapache

I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of soda pop. I've never been a fan. I find them all really sweet, and knowing the ingredients makes me dislike them even more. I do like carbonation, so I stick to plain old soda water, if I drink anything from a can/bottle.

For the past few years I've been studying the benefits of fermented drinks, and I've learned quite a lot. Not only are they so much better for us, but they offer great benefits for gut and overall health, too.

Anyhow, my son bought a pineapple for his holiday supper, and I had him save me the rind and core, as I wanted to try making a pretty popular South American, gut friendly drink. If you're a pineapple fan, you have to try this recipe for 'tepache'.

Tepache is generally considered good for you as a healthy, fermented beverage, offering probiotics for gut health, supporting digestion with enzymes like bromelain, boosting immunity with vitamins from pineapple, and serving as a better alternative to sugary sodas, though moderation is key due to its natural sugars.

Health Benefits

Probiotics: Contains beneficial bacteria (like Lactobacillus) and yeasts that promote a healthy gut microbiome, aid digestion, and support the immune system.

Digestive Enzymes: Pineapple rind and core provide bromelain, an enzyme that helps with digestion and reduces inflammation.

Vitamins & Minerals: Offers vitamins (A, C, B) and minerals from the pineapple, enhancing its nutritional value beyond just the fruit.

Immune Support: The probiotics and vitamins contribute to a stronger immune response.

Lower Sugar Alternative: Tepache has less sugar than many commercial sodas, making it a healthier choice for satisfying sweet cravings.

Considerations:

Sugar Content: While healthier than soda, it still contains natural and added sugars, so consume in moderation.

Unpasteurized: As a raw, fermented drink, it's unpasteurized, which carries a slight risk of foodborne illness, though this is also what keeps the beneficial microbes alive.

You should be cautious mixing pineapple juice with antibiotics (like tetracycline, amoxicillin), blood thinners (warfarin, heparin, NSAIDs), certain antidepressants, some blood pressure drugs, and chemotherapy drugs, as its enzyme bromelain can affect absorption or increase bleeding risk; however, normal amounts of fruit usually don't cause issues, but always check with your doctor for specific concerns.

Recipe:

Please use an organic, unsprayed pineapple, if you can. Either way, wash your pineapple with a mild baking soda and water solution, rinse, and allow to dry on clean towel.

1. When you're ready to eat your pineapple, cut off the top, and put aside (if it still has leaves).

2. Next cut off the rind, and core the pineapple as you usually would.

3. Find yourself a large 1 litre jar, and stuff the pineapple peels and core into the jar. I used 2, as the pineapple was quite large.

4. Once your jar/s are stuffed, add 2 tablespoons of organic cane sugar, agave nectar or honey, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4tsp of cardamom. Then top with water. I used tap water, but any water except distilled, will work.

5. Gently mix your contents with a long spoon or chopstick. Do your best to keep the pineapple rind fully submerged, to keep mold at bay, (although this is a short process, so mold shouldn't be an issue).

6. Cover your jar or jars with a clean cloth, paper towel, or beeswax wrap and elastic.

7. That's it. Set you jar/s in a cool dark spot for 2-4 days, but no longer. You should start seeing tiny bubbles at the surface within the first 24 hours.

8. On day 4, the bubbles were crazy! I emptied the liquid into an empty brita, leaving the skins and rind in the original jars, topped up with cane sugar and water, and started the process all over again.

9. If you want a really carbonated drink, you can add your strained tepache to a flip top bottle, to further ferment for a couple of days more, making certain to burp it daily, so the contents don't explode. I personally don't require further carbonation, as the original 4 days made quite a bubbly concoction.

10. Drink up. Go easy though. I'm sticking to 4oz in the morning, and 4oz at night.

I've never had tepache before, so I wasn't sure what it's supposed to taste like, but my goodness, it's delicious! Slightly sweet, cinnamony, and has a hint of craft beer as a bottom note. Fermenting for 2-3 days would eliminate the beer taste.

It really is worth a try though, and so much better for you than soda pop.

Let me know how you make out, and happy fermenting.

Oh, and as for the pineapple top that you saved at the beginning...drop in in a pot of soil and grow yourself a pineapple plant. Waste not, want not 😉