Ponche
Mexican Ponche is a warm and comforting fruit punch made with apples, pears, oranges and guavas and spiced with cinnamon, cloves, tamarind and hibiscus typically served at Christmas time.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 16 cups water
- 6 guavas, halved
- 3 large red apples, cut into chunks
- 2 pears, cut into chunks
- 1 orange, sliced
- 8 ounces piloncillo (or 1 cup of dark brown sugar)
- 6 whole cloves
- 4 cinnamon sticks (Ceylon/Mexican cinnamon sticks preferred)
- 2 tablespoons dried hibiscus flowers
- 1 dried tamarind pod, peeled
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
- Stir together and make sure the piloncillo has completely dissolved. Taste and adjust the sweetness if necessary.
- Serve immediately in mugs with the cooked pieces of fruit. If desired, stir in a splash of rum or brandy.
Notes
- Customize the fruit. You can adjust the fruits based on your preferences, use different apples, add more pears, etc.
- Add more traditional fruits. Authentic Mexican ponche also includes fruits like tejocotes, quince, and sugar cane sticks. These items are seasonal during the wintertime and can often be found at a local Mexican grocery store.
- Sweetness. The ponche may be more or less sweet depending on the sweetness of the fruit itself. To add more sweetness, stir in ¼ cup of dark brown sugar or more as needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.3cups (with fruit) | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 342mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 168.3mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1.1mg