538427 Sun Jul 13 20:46:35 -0700 2008 7 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 3865960 A street vendor was selling tepache today, a fermented Mexican beverage made from pineapple. For me ... an aquired taste because it tastes like ... well ... pineapple that's been fermenting a few days. I Google info about it while slurping it down. Dumbly, I only read the wikipedia article that says it is sometimes mixed with beer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tepache So I rush out and buy a can of beer ... I went for Tecate because it is Mexican and alliterative ... Tecate tepache. I'm thinking it is the Mexican version of a British shandy (beer & lemonade). Now I have the beer ... what ratio? I Google further ... ooops ... it looks like the beer is part of the fermenting process. http://www.saveur.com/article/drink-recipes/Mexican-Style-Fermented-Pineapple-Drink http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/10300/tepache.html Eh, I go with my Mexican shandy idea and do a fifty/fifty Tecate/tepache. Acually, it was quite excellent. Each drink takes the edge off the other. Very pleasant and refreshing. Did I invent something? Tell me more about tepache? Do actual pieces of pineapple come in it? I got a nice big fresh spear, but I think it accidently escaped the water jug filled with tepache, pineapple spears and pineapple rind. Actually, I was thinking like this guy that tempache would be good with rum. http://cookbad.blogspot.com/2008/03/tepache.html Sun Jul 13 20:46:36 -0700 2008 10264 rworange 1 3877125 Tepache, as made in the Huatusco-Coatepec region of the state of Veracruz Mexico, is made from the peels of pineapple, a large quantity of Panela which is raw dark sugar completely unprocessed and available from Mexican stores in this country, and five gallons of water. I am sorry that I can not remember the exact ratio anymore but hopefully some chowhound fan will help us out. Thu Jul 17 09:18:20 -0700 2008 3865960 119411 paul balbin 1 3877186 I am heartbroken that you have already forgotten this: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/340696 BTW... the drink you made is similar to what you get in Taquerias around Guadalajara (although it probably wouldn't be Tecate... more like Victoria) Thu Jul 17 09:35:48 -0700 2008 3865960 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 3884245 Ah ... any recipe tends to go to the back draw of my memory file cabinet. Thanks for that link Well, you'll have a lot of pineapples for tepache in your next home. Sat Jul 19 18:51:57 -0700 2008 3877186 10264 rworange 3 3884486 Yeah no kidding... I can't wait to bring some Tepache to a potluck. Also, if you let the Tepache ferment long enough it will form a mother culture that can be used to make Vinegar. Use Pineapple Vinegar once... and you will be hooked.... particularly on dishes like Pollo en Escabeche (basically Vindaloo). Sat Jul 19 21:22:13 -0700 2008 3884245 42572 Eat_Nopal 4 3890281 True. My last batch of tepache went into a "Mother-slime Mode", but I strained it and put it into recycled Grolsch bottles. I just tasted a spoonful, and although it's still fizzy, it's more a vinegar than a beverage. When making tepache, I like to include some of the pienapple flesh as well as the rinds. Here's a photo sequence on making tepache that I did 3 years ago. http://www.pbase.com/panos/tepache Nowadays, I use a darker piloncillo and the tepache has a richer color and flavor. A few sweet spices are also used in the initial brew; canela, clavos de olor, maybe pimienta gorda. EDIT: I see by the earlier topic that the sweet spices are a fairly standard addition. Tue Jul 22 03:38:37 -0700 2008 3884486 49726 Anonimo 5 3890912 Hey Anonimo... how long did it take to create the Mother? Tue Jul 22 08:45:03 -0700 2008 3890281 42572 Eat_Nopal 1 4731927 I'm trying this again now using scraps leftover from pineapple jam making (for Malaysian pineapple tarts). I made a batch of tepache a couple years ago and it was terrible—I'm pretty sure I didn't use nearly enough piloncillo, though, having gotten bored of grating the stuff, plus I let it go too long so it got vinegar-y. I'm very optimistic about this batch. Thanks, Eat Nopal and everyone else, for the tips. Should be in the upper 80s and 90s all this week here in Georgia, and I'm looking forward to a few cold glasses of tepache this weekend. Mon Jun 01 06:43:40 -0700 2009 3865960 11067 Liana Krissoff