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Guatemalan and Mexican Ponche-de Frutas
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5 from 19 votes

Ponche de Frutas - Hot Fruit Punch

A hot fruit punch made of fresh and dried fruits served at Christmas and on New Year's Eve in Mexico, Guatemala and Latin America. Spike it with dark or white rum if you like. You can use any mixture of fruit but pineapple, plantain, and pineapples are musts.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Guatemalan, Mexican
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 206kcal
Cost: $10

Equipment

  • Knife
  • cutting board
  • large pot

Ingredients

  • 1 pineapple
  • 1 plantain ripe
  • 1 apple fresh
  • 2 plums
  • 1 pear
  • 1/4 cup apples dried
  • 2 Tablespoons raisins
  • 8 cups water divided
  • 1/4 cup sugar I use less. Use Piloncillo ( Mexican brown sugar) if you can find it
  • 1 large cinnamon stick
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves whole
  • 1/8 teaspoon allspice whole
  • 1 nutmeg freshly grated

Instructions

  • Finely chop the pineapple and plantain into small pieces, reserving the husks. Set fruit aside.
  • Bring 2 cups of water, the pineapple husk (not the leaves), the plantain skin and the spices to a quick boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered in a small pot for 30 minutes.
  • Strain out the husks and spices, discarding all but the stick of cinnamon.
  • Pour the boiled fruit juice into a large pot, adding the remaining six cups of water and sugar.
  • Peel, core and finely dice the remaining fresh and dried fruit
  • Add the diced pineapple, plantain, fresh fruit, raisins and cinnamon stick to the water in the pot.
  • Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust the sugar and spices as you like.
  • Serve hot in mugs with bits of fruit in each.

Notes

  • Plantain should be ripe but not mushy 
  • Use a mix of fresh and dried apples
  • Prunes are a popular addition and will create a darker hued ponche   
  • Wash the husk of your pineapple thoroughly 
  • Do not eat the sap, thorns or leave of a pineapple 
  • You can substitute honey or agave syrup for the sugar to taste  
Note: Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed to be accurate. It is created by online calculators and although we attempt to provide accurate nutritional information, the figures are only estimates.

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 515IU | Vitamin C: 82.8mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.9mg