Cascara is made with the flesh from the coffee cherry, which is usually discarded in order to get to the bean that’s eventually roasted. In some coffee-growing countries, especially Bolivia (where it’s called Sultana) and Yemen, this cherry is used to brew a tea.
The name cascara comes from the Spanish cáscara, which means husk.
Cascara is brewed like loose tea leaves, so you’ll need to use something to separate the fruit from the liquid once it’s steeped. You can use a teapot, a plunger or even an AeroPress.
Here’s our step-by-step guide for both hot and cold-brew approaches (or jump onto this guide’s Frequently Asked Questions):
Hot-brewed cascara
Gear
• Glass container
• Scales
• Kettle or alternative source
• Timer
• Strainer
Goods
• 18g of cascara
• 250g of just-boiled water ♨︎
♨︎: In our recipes, we measure water in grams because we use scales, and it’s easy to achieve precision this way. However, if you don’t have scales, the conversion is easy: 1g=1mL.
Method
-
Heat water to 93°C.
Just like coffee, you want your water to be off the boil.
-
We recommend 18g of cascara to 250g of water.
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Steep the cascara for around 4 minutes.
Or, if you prefer a stronger brew, it’ll keep infusing flavour for up to 10-12 minutes.
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Drain the tea, and discard the pulp.
Use a plunger, tea strainer or sieve to catch the pulp. There are no fine particles in cascara, so you don’t need to use filter paper.
Cold-brewed cascara
Gear
• Glass container, with lid
• Scales
• Strainer
Goods
• 35g of cascara
• 250 mL of just-boiled water
Method
-
Add 35g of cascara for each 250g of water to a jar or any container with a lid.
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Leave the mixture in the fridge for 24 hours.
Cover the container with the lid to avoid the absorption of any unwanted aromas.
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Strain out the pulp and serve over ice.
Use a plunger, tea strainer or sieve to catch the pulp. There are no fine particles in cascara, so you don’t need to use filter paper.
