Homemade Tepache vs Store Bought
I’ve recently noticed the appearance of tepache in cans in some local grocery stores, so I grabbed one to pit against my homemade stuff. I’m not sure how much of a fair comparison it will be, since the stuff I made has been sitting in the fridge for a few months, but oh well.
I had assumed the stuff from the can would be heavily filtered and transparent, but it does have some cloudiness to it. Mine is just simply strained, so there is some sediment remaining, but it is actually clearer. It might be due to the fact that I didn’t get the carbonation quite right, so mine is flat, whereas this canned stuff is very obviously manually carbonated like any other soda. I know this because the ingredients list has “Carbonated water” first on the list.
Even though this can has both pineapple juice concentrate and “pineapple flavor” added on top of the actual (supposed) tepache, I’m surprised at how boring it is. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a refreshing beverage, but it reminds me more of a seltzer then tepache. The flavor is more cinnamon-forward than pineapple honestly, though both are more detectable as aftertaste.
My homemade tepache may be flat, but the flavor is robust. Sweet pineapple first, followed by a lactic tang, with clove and a bit of cinnamon following in the aftertaste. This is what I expect from tepache.
If you want to learn how to make your own tepache from pineapple scraps and readily-available pantry staples, check out my logbook on making tepache.
Have you tried homemade vs store-bought tepache? What did you think? Will you keep making it at home, or is the stuff in a can good enough?
