A cool and bubbly pineapple drink, the flavorful Guarapo de piña (fermented pineapple rind drink) screams "tropical summer" even if you're not in the tropics. With all the nutritional benefits of fermented beverages, it's much easier to prepare and perfect substitute for soda.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Jul 5, 2011
Why we ❤️ it
Today, I bring you something super-light to cool down and give the body a break from this heat: Guarapo de piña (fermented pineapple juice).
This guarapo drink made with pineapple scraps and natural yeast in a fast fermentation process, is a great way to satisfy the craving for "bubbly" cold drinks. It is cheap, has a negligible alcohol content, and is much healthier than soda. Give it a try; trust me, it's worth the effort.
Guarapo or mabí?
Fermented juice recipes are not uncommon in the Dominican Republic. If you find the idea of drinking fermented pineapple juice somewhat off-putting, let me put your mind at ease: Dominicans have been drinking mabíes and guarapos (fermented root drinks and fermented fruit drinks) for a long time.
For another of our favorite fermented Dominican beverages, check out Guarapo de jagua. Mabí is another name used for fermented drinks, and the most famous of those is Mabí de bejuco Indio, prepared with a native vine.
I'd dare say that they are now less common because of the myriad carbonated drinks on the market (because, let's face it, even if they are not the healthiest drinks, they are very darn refreshing).
Pineapple and guarapo de piña.
Benefits of fermenting
Fermenting food is something that humans have been doing for many thousands of years, and to which many beneficial properties are now attributed, and it is a product rich in probiotics to improve gut flora.
Fermenting also improves the flavor of many foods and is the basis for making alcoholic beverages, pickling, and making leavened bread.
Top tips
- For some extra fun, dice and freeze some pineapple chunks to add to the drink when it's time to serve. This is optional and not part of the traditional recipe, but it adds more interest and flavor to the drink.
- You can repeat the process twice more with the same peel (just refilling it with clean water and letting it ferment again in the fridge).
- If you want, you can use your favorite sweetener instead of cane sugar for a low-sugar, low-calorie drink.
About this recipe
Another good thing about this drink is that you only use the pineapple peel; you can use the rest of the pineapple in other dishes or add frozen pineapple cubes to your drink to keep it cooler longer than with just ice, then you can eat the fruit once you finish your drink.
Salud!
Video
Recipe
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Fermented Pineapple Drink [Video+Recipe] Guarapo de Piña
Ingredients
- Peel (rind) and core of 1 pineapple, (plus pineapple for serving, see notes)
- 2 quarts drinking water
- 1 cup sugar, (or brown sugar, or equivalent sweetener)
Instructions
1. Prepping peel
Wash the pineapple rind with running water. Place the pineapple peel in a pitcher or large glass jar, big enough to fit the drinking water and the rind. Add the water. Cover with cheesecloth or cotton kitchen towel and leave it to rest at room temperature overnight. You should see some tiny bubbles on the surface.
2. How to ferment pineapple
- Refrigerate covered with a dish towel for 3 to 4 days, or until you notice some white foam and bubbles stuck to the sides of the pitcher. It should smell fruity and a bit like pineapple vinegar, but should have no foul odor.
3. Serving
- Strain to discard solids, and pour the liquid into another clean pitcher. Add sugar or sweetener to taste and stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve it. Serve with ice, and frozen pineapple cubes (optional).
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More recipes with pineapple
Recipes with fruits are - unsurprisingly - very common in the Dominican Republic, since we boast an enormous variety of Dominican fruits. Pineapples are cultivated locally and can be used in desserts like dulce de piña y leche, Dominican cake pineapple filling, Flan de piña, and Pera piña, another refreshing drink.
If you want to try something that isn't Dominican, Piña colada, this Pineapple limeade, and this Ginger pineapple mocktail.
FAQs
Guarapo is the juice extracted from sugarcane. In the Dominican Republic, aside from meaning that, it's also used to describe the fermented juice of some fruits, like pineapple and genipa (jagua).
Pineapple guarapo is a rich refreshing drink. It is attributed with diuretic properties, and -like all fermented beverages- has macrobiotic properties.
The first step in the preparation is to peel the pineapple; the pineapple flesh can be used in the preparation of another dish with pineapple. Add one or one and a half liters of water and let it stand until bubbles start to rise, then store it in the refrigerator.
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