Spiced Fermented Pineapple Tepache
When you're out of ideas to stay hydrated in the Summer months, have a go at this one.
Especially great with ice, or slightly diluted if the ferment is strong.
~ Gutsy Flora
Pineapple, Ginger and Spices
INGREDIENTS
1 ripe organic pineapple
large chunk, organic ginger
2006 raw cane sugar
3 cloves
Ginger
1 cinnamon stick
2 litres filtered water
Optional ingredients:
Fresh red chili
EQUIPMENT
2L Clip-top jar
METHOD
Prepare the ginger, cut of any "knobbly" bits of the ginger, or parts that don't look so nice, and chop roughly and crush with a knife.
Prepare the pineapple; do not wash the pineapple and leave the rind on (we want to capture the microbes on the surface and it adds a depth of flavour). Chop the top and bottom off, cut vertically into 6 long wedges, slice off the core on each piece, then cut the long wedges into lots of triangle pieces.
Put water, ginger and sugar into the jar, with the spices and give it a good shake until sugar dissolves. Add in the pineapple, give a good stir for a few minutes and top up with water if you need to. Makes sure you leave 2-3 inches of space.
Cover with muslin and an elastic band.
Leave for days at room temperature.
Give it a good stir. Hopefully at this point you will see some bubbles, now you can strain it through a sieve, bottle it and it will continue carbonating in a bottle. Make sure you leave space at the top of the bottle and I recommend chilling it before you drink it.
How long should I leave my Tepache to ferment?
I'm afraid, with this beast, there is no exact answer
I would HIGHLY recommend you keep an eye on this ferment, it is an explosive one and not to be underestimated. 1-2 days, then a further 1-2 days in a bottle but keep an eye on it, and look out for bubbles of course.
I ferment mine as above with muslin and an elastic ban for an aerobic fermentation, because an anaerobic (closed) version can be especially explosive. Bottled Tepache can keep for weeks in the fridge, but be careful - it will carry on fermenting!
What do I do with the leftover Pineapple?
You can re-use the pineapple mixture with a new set of water, sugar and spices for a lighter version and might need to be left for a couple more days.
