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Ponche (Mexican Christmas Punch)

Ponche is essentially a warm fruit punch that uses Mexican fruits that you might no be familiar with! One serving of this punch counts towards a full daily serving of fruits.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 20 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 4 quarts water
  • 2 sticks cinnamon
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 5 long tamarind pods husk removed, and seeded
  • ½ pound tejocotes or crab apples left whole
  • 6 large guavas peeled and cut into small bite-sized chunks
  • 1 pear of your choice, peeled, cored, and cut into small bite-size chunks
  • 2 4-inch sugarcane sticks peeled and cut into small chunks
  • 1 cup pitted prunes
  • ½ dark raisins
  • 1 orange sliced
  • 1 cone piloncillo chopped OR 1 cup brown sugar

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, over high heat, boil water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, tamarind, and tejocotes. After it starts to boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the tejocotes are soft.
  • Remove the tejocotes from the heat, peel, remove hard ends, cut in half, and deseed. Return them to the pot.
  • Add guavas, apples, pears, sugar cane, prunes, orange slices, and piloncillo.
  • Simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring gently. Discard cinnamon sticks and cloves.

Notes

  • If you are unable to find fresh sugarcane at your local store you can even purchase a jar containing some of unique ingredients like tejocotes, guavas, and sugarcane: Ponche Navideño en Almibar (Fruit Punch in Syrup). 
  • If you are unable to find tejocotes, add one extra apple.