Circular 207
USING FLORIDA FRUITS.
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
June 1960
USING FLORIDA GUAVA
By Food and Nutrition Specialists
The guava grows in Florida semi-wild or as
a cultivated tree. It is found as far north as
Gainesville in protected places and is abundant
in South Florida.
A medium-sized guava raw contains approxi-
mately 70 calories, which ranks it about average
with other fruits. The guava also contains small
amounts of calcium, phosphorous and iron and
vitamin A. The vitamin C content for a medium-
sized raw guava is 302 milligrams. The amount
of vitamin C needed daily by man is 70-80 milli-
grams.
Heat, air and metal cause destruction of vita-
min C. Because of 'this the cooked or canned
guava shell contains less vitamin C than the fresh.
If the right methods are used, the loss of vitamin
C can be held to a minimum. Jams, jellies and
butters contain little, if any, vitamin C.
In laboratory work higher amounts of vita-
min C were found in the skin and the thick outer
flesh (shell). The soft flesh surrounding the
seeds has little or no vitamin C content.
The sweet or low-acid guava is best suited to
being eaten raw out of hand. The sour or highly
acid guava lends itself to cooking, canning or
freezing with some sugar added.
CANNED GUAVA SHELLS
1. Wash firm, ripe guavas. Peel thinly. Cut
in halves.
2. With a teaspoon scoop out seeds and soft
pulp.
3. Make up a medium syrup, using 2 parts of
sugar and 1 part water. Allow 2 cups of syrup
for each quart of shells. Heat syrup to boiling.
4. Drop shells into hot syrup and cook 4 to 8
minutes, depending on size of the fruit. This
shrinks fruit.
5. Pack hot guava shells in clean canning jars.
Pack with hollow surface down in overlapping
layers.
6. Add a tablespoon of, hot syrup with each
layer.
7. Seal jar according to manufacturer's di-
rection and process in a boiling water bath. Pint
jars, 15 minutes, quarts, 20 minutes.
8. Guava shells may be packed uncooked into
jars and covered with the boiling hot syrup. Seal
and process as above. The jars may not be full
when processing is complete, due to shrinkage
of fruit.
FROZEN GUAVA SHELLS
1. Prepare shells as for canning. Pack cold
into cartons or freezer jars.
2. Make up syrup as used in canning. Do
not heat. The sugar will dissolve without heat
if stirred.
3. Cover shells with cold syrup. Seal and
freeze. Lime juice may be added if guavas are
sweet.
4. Guavas will keep at o0F. 8 months to a
year.
GUAVA NECTAR
To Use in Drinks and Punches
1. Wash firm ripe guavas. Cut off stem and
blossom ends. Slice into a large sauce pan.
2. Add 2 cups water to 2 quarts of sliced fruit.
Cover and cook until soft.
3. Put this through a sieve to remove seed.
4. Add water until puree is thin enough to
drink.
5. Sweeten with 1/ cup sugar to each quart
of nectar.
6. Heat to boiling. Pour into clean jars. Seal
and process in a boiling water bath. Pints, 5
minutes. Quarts, 10 minutes.
7. Serve cold with equal parts of limeade or
ginger ale as a cooling drink. Try it poured over
a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a tall glass.
GUAVA JUICE
For Punch or Jellymaking
2 quarts firm, ripe guavas
2 quarts slightly green guavas
2 quarts water
1. Wash, remove blossom and stem ends and
blemishes. Slice.
2. Add water, bring quickly to boil and cook
about 20 minutes.
3. Strain through jelly bag. Reheat juice to
boiling, pour into hot jars or cans and seal.
4. Process in a simmering water bath 5 min-
utes for pints, 10 minutes for quarts.
5. To serve, dilute with equal amounts of wa-
ter or other fruit juice and sweeten to taste.
6. To make jelly, see directions given for
guava jelly.
GUAVA SAUCE
1. Use firm ripe, acid guavas. Wash fruit
and remove blossom and stem ends and any scars
on skin.
2. Run through fruit press to remove seed.
Measure and put in heavy saucepan.
3. Add 2 or more cups sugar (according to
acidity of fruit) to 4 cups of pulp.
4. Cook rapidly for about 15 minutes, stirring
often.
5. Pour into clean, hot jars. Seal and process
in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
6. This sauce is excellent for pudding sauces,
whips and gelatin desserts. Use it in making
guava ice cream and sherbets and as a topping
for plain vanilla ice cream.
GUAVA JELLY
Pectin, acid, and sugar are needed to make a
good jelly. The pectin and acid are found in
slightly underripe guavas. Always add some un-
derripe guavas to ripe guavas to get the best gel.
A good way to test guava juice for its pectin
content follows.
1. Make juice by recipe given for Guava
Juice.
2. Put 1 tablespoon of this juice in a shallow
dish.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of 95% alcohol (wood or
denatured may be used).
4. Shake dish gently. If there is enough pec-
tin present, a solid mass will form. If pectin is
weak, the gel will be in small broken pieces.
5. To strengthen pectin, cook 2 to 4 cups of
green guavas in 1 quart of juice until tender.
Strain and add to remainder of juice and strain
once again.
To make jelly:
1. Put 4 cups of strained juice (freshly made
or canned) into 6 or 8 quart saucepan and bring
to a boil.
2. Add 4 cups sugar and stir until dissolved.
3. Cook rapidly. Slow cooking darkens the
jelly.
4. Cook to 2220F. by a candy or jelly ther-
mometer or until juice drips from a spoon in sheet.
5. When using a thermometer, stir the jelly
just before reading the thermometer and hold
it in the center of kettle, not touching bottom.
As soon as the 2220F. is reached, or when jelly
sheets from spoon, remove from the heat and
pour into clean, hot jars.
6. Skim foam off each jar and seal at once.
7. Self-sealing jars are best for jelly in Flor-
ida. Paraffin sealing doesn't keep humidity, molds
or pests out of jelly.
GUAVA PRESERVES
1. Wash and, if skin is of fine and smooth
texture, do not peel. Remove blossom end, cut
in half and remove seeds as for shell.
2. Use 1 cups sugar and 3 cups guava shells.
3. Cover guava shells with sugar, add 1 cup
water, and allow to stand 3 to 4 hours or until
sugar is dissolved.
4. Add 1 tablespoon ginger root and a few
slices of lemon and boil until the syrup is thick-
ened and the fruit transparent.
5. Let stand over night.
6. Pack in hot, clean jars and process pints 15
minutes, quarts 20 minutes in a simmering water
bath.
GUAVA PASTE
1 cup canned, frozen, or freshly cooked guava shells
1 cup sugar
1. Drain juice from guavas and rub guavas
through a sieve.
2. Cook sugar and the drained juice until a
few drops put in cold water will crack.
3. Add sieved guavas and continue cooking
until the mixture follows the spoon around in a
mass.
4. Spread about 1/ inch thick in an oiled pan.
5. Let stand for a day to become stiff, then
cut in cubes, strips or fancy shapes and roll in
granulated sugar or shape into 112 inch roll.
6. If paste is a little soft, a second dusting of
sugar may be needed. Allow a day for drying
between the sugar coatings.
7. Store in layers separated by heavy waxed
paper in a tight tin or wooden box.
GUAVA CHUTNEY
3 quarts guava shells
6 cups brown sugar
2 pounds raisins
2 cloves garlic
1 pint green pepper
1/2 pound onions
3 pieces green ginger
2 pods chili pepper, dried
1/ cup white mustard seed
1/ tablespoon black pepper
1/ cup celery seed
2 quarts vinegar
3 pounds tamarinds
1 tablespoon each: ground allspice, cloves, cinnamon,
salt
1. Remove hulls from tamarinds and soap
pulp in 2 quarts of vinegar. Stir often to dissolve
pulp from seed.
2. When pulp is dissolved, pour through a col-
ander to remove seed.
3. Put guavas and raisins through food chop-
per, using a coarse blade.
4. Mix all ingredients and boil 40 to 50 min-
utes. Let stand overnight.
5. Reheat to boiling and pour into hot, clean
jars. Seal at once.
WAYS TO USE CANNED, FROZEN OR
FRESH GUAVA SHELLS
o Try using guava shells on lettuce. Fill shells
with cottage cheese or cream cheese.
* Combine guavas with sliced bananas and citrus
sections for fruit cups. Garnish- with Surinam
cherry for color.
o Serve chilled guava shells in sherbet dishes
topped with a tablespoon or 2 of sour cream and
a light dusting of freshly grated nutmeg.
* Your favorite frozen fruit salad will take on
added flavor when guavas are included in it. Add
them as you would peaches or fruit cocktail.
o Add guava sauce to your ice cream recipe. Use
1 cup of guava sauce to 4 cups of ice cream mix-
ture. Churn as for any ice cream.
* Substitute guava shells for apples in a brown
betty recipe. Serve with cream. A real treat!
* Heat canned guava shells in syrup to boiling.
Make up drop dumplings, using a little sugar in
recipe. Drop on top of Guava shells. Cover and
cook 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot with cream or
top milk.
o Use an old standby cobbler or deep dish pie
recipe. Use guava as the fruit. Serve plain or
topped with ice cream.
* Guava shortcake is second only to strawberry
shortcake. Try it using same procedure.
o Tapioca pudding becomes a tropical treat when
guava sauce or chopped guava shells are used on
top.
e Guava shells make a delicious breakfast fruit.
Serve chilled.
* Fancy dessert is vanilla ice cream and guava
sauce layered into tall parfait glasses. End up
with golden sauce on top. Fix ahead and hold in
freezer section of refrigerator until serving time.
Garnish with toasted coconut or slivered toasted
almonds. OR spoon chopped guava shells over
ice cream and add nuts for a sundae.
* Interesting things happen to any punch when
guava juice or guava nectar is added as one of
the ingredients. Try it.
* Top plain cake (your own or from a mix) with
guava sauce. Time it so that cake can be served
warm as the dessert.
GUAVA VELVA
Frozen Dessert
Makes 1 Gallon
5 cups guava sauce, sweetened
5 cups guava juice
2 cups sugar
% cup cold water
1 envelop unflavored gelatin
1. Soak gelatin in cold water, then place over
heat to melt.
2. Add to guava sauce and juice. Stir in
sugar.
3. Pour into gallon ice cream churn and freeze
as you would ice cream.
References:
Bulletin 414-Ascorbic Acid Content of Some Florida
Grown Guavas, University of Florida Experiment Station
(out of print).
Bulletin 158-The Goodly Guava, University of Florida,
Agricultural Extension Service (out of print).
U.S.D.A. Handbook 8, Composition of Foods.
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE
AND HOME ECONOMICS
(Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914)
Agricultural Extension Service, University of Florida
Florida State University and
United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperating
M. 0. Watkins, Director
HISTORIC NOTE
The publications in this collection do
not reflect current scientific knowledge
or recommendations. These texts
represent the historic publishing
record of the Institute for Food and
Agricultural Sciences and should be
used only to trace the historic work of
the Institute and its staff. Current IFAS
research may be found on the
Electronic Data Information Source
(EDIS)
site maintained by the Florida
Cooperative Extension Service.
Copyright 2005, Board of Trustees, University
of Florida
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