Guavas, also known as “sours” in English, are native to Central America.
The name comes from the Spanish word for “beast,” which was used by Columbus during his first voyage through the Caribbean.
The fruits were thought to be poisonous back then because they looked so similar to deadly nightshades.
However, today, guavas have become a staple in many American kitchens.
They provide an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, fiber, iron, folate, and manganese.
In addition, guavas contain antioxidants that help protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke.
But perhaps most importantly, guavas are packed full of nutrients that offer protection against infections such as colds and flu.
One cup of guavas contains more than 100 percent of our daily recommended intake of vitamin K, which helps maintain healthy bones and teeth.
So whether you want to use them fresh, frozen, or canned, there are plenty of ways to incorporate these wonderful little fruits into your diet.
One popular way to eat guavas is to spread them on bread and top them with cream cheese.
However, if you’re looking for something different, here’s how to make guava jam!
- What ingredients do you need to make guava jam?
- How long does it take to make guava jam?
- What is the best way to store guava jam?
- How long does guava jam last?
- What can you do with guava jam?
- What is the nutritional value of guava jam?
- How does guava jam compare to other jams?
- What are some tips for making guava jam?
- What are some common mistakes people make when making guava jam?
- How can you troubleshoot problems with guava jam?
What Ingredients Do You Need To Make Guava Jam?
To make guava jam, all you really need is guavas (fresh or frozen), sugar, lemon juice, and water.
You may find that some recipes call for additional ingredients like vanilla extract, salt, and spices.
These additions give your jam a unique flavor, but we will not cover those details here.
How Long Does It Take To Make Guava Jam?
It takes about 30 minutes to prepare two cups of guava jam.
To begin, wash and remove all seeds from the guavas.
Then cut each one open lengthwise, removing any remaining flesh inside and discard.
Next, slice each half crosswise into ¼-inch slices.
Next, place the sliced guavas in a large saucepan along with 1/2 cup water per 2 pounds (907 g) of guavas.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir frequently, scraping the bottom of the pan to ensure even cooking.
Once the mixture has reached the desired consistency, add sugar and stir well to combine.
Continue heating the mixture until it reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit (104 degrees Celsius).
At this point, turn off the stovetop burner and let the mixture cool down completely.
Add lemon juice and mix thoroughly.
Store in airtight containers for up to three months.
What Is The Best Way To Store Guava Jam?
First off, I should mention that storing guava jam at room temperature will not keep it very long.
Guava jam needs to stay refrigerated (or even better, kept in the fridge) to prevent mold growth.
You can store guava jam up to 6 months after opening, but that’s about all you can expect.
How Long Does Guava Jam Last?
This guava jam should keep well enough in the fridge for up to 1 week.
When stored at room temperature, however, it will start losing its flavor within 24 hours.
What Can You Do With Guava Jam?
You can use guava jam on anything!
Spread it on crackers, sprinkle it onto yogurt parfaits, add it to smoothies, or even put some in ice cube trays and freeze it for a quick snack anytime.
If you don’t like the idea of using it straight out of the jar, try adding some to your banana split sundae or topping your pancakes with a generous amount of guava jam.
Here are just a few ideas for what you can do with guava jam:
Spread it on toast
Add a spoonful to oatmeal
Put some in a sandwich
Sprinkle it over vanilla wafers
Bake cookies with it
Use it instead of jelly on cakes
What Is The Nutritional Value Of Guava Jam?
Guavas aren’t just great tasting and loaded with vitamins and minerals; they also taste good! Guava jam has a mild flavor that goes well with almost any type of food.
It pairs well with cheeses like cheddar, mozzarella, feta, blue cheese, parmesan, or brie.
Because guava jam tastes nice, it makes a great topping for pancakes, waffles, French toast, muffins, and biscuits too.
If you like peanut butter, try adding a spoonful of guava jam instead of regular butter.
You won’t regret it!
How Does Guava Jam Compare To Other Jams?
Making guava jam is one of my all-time favorites.
It has just enough sweetness but still maintains its tartness.
Guava jam is great served alongside anything cheesy, like brie, feta, cheddar, mozzarella, blue, or goat cheese.
You could even pair it with ham, turkey, chicken breast, fish, or pork tenderloin.
It’s important to note that while guava jam will keep for about two weeks stored in the refrigerator, it may get too soft after that time period.
If you notice that it doesn’t taste quite right, simply let it sit out at room temperature for several hours before serving again.
Ingredients
For every 1/4 cup (60 grams) of guava paste, you’ll need 2 cups (480 ml) of water.
1 pound (450 grams) whole pitted ripe guavas
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) lemon juice
1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) powdered pectin
Directions:
Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to boil and cook until thickened, 15 minutes.
Step 2: Remove pan from heat and allow to cool completely.
Step 3: Pour cooled jam into sterilized jars and seal immediately using lids and rings.
Step 4: Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
What Are Some Tips For Making Guava Jam?
Making guava jam isn’t too difficult, but we’ve found two things that may prevent your jam from turning out perfectly every time:
1) You must add sugar slowly while stirring constantly until the mixture achieves a smooth consistency. If you rush this step, your jam will not set properly.
2) When adding the lemon juice, stir gently at first. Then increase the speed once the liquid has been combined with all of the solid pieces of fruit.
If you follow these instructions, you should achieve a nice, thick sauce with just the right amount of sweetness. Here are a couple of additional steps you might find helpful:
3) To keep your jam from separating, place one pan over another while heating it up. Once the bottom layer starts to bubble, remove it from the heat before continuing to cook the mixture.
4) Make sure you let your jam cool completely before storing it in jars (this prevents mold). Be patient while waiting for the jam to thicken – sometimes several hours – after cooling down.
What Are Some Common Mistakes People Make When Making Guava Jam?
Making guava jam isn’t difficult at all, but there are a few things you should know before you get started.
First off, you will need to ensure that you only buy ripe guavas.
If you choose unripe ones, your jam won’t set properly.
You might think that buying overly ripe guavas would work just fine, but they’ll still taste sour.
Plus, they may not give off enough flavor to offset the sweetness of sugar.
And lastly, don’t over-process your guavas.
You don’t really need to remove their skin or pith.
Just cut them up, put them in a pot, add water, bring them to a boil, reduce heat, cover, cook until soft (about 20 minutes), let cool slightly, strain out seeds and skins, and pour into jars.
It doesn’t matter what kind of jar you use — wide mouth mason jars or regular mason jars will both work well.
Keep in mind that you don’t always have to process your jam.
Some recipes call for raw preserves, meaning that no cooking has taken place.
Don’t forget about the salt
Salt is very important when making any type of confectionary item such as jam.
Salt draws moisture away from food items, leaving them less prone to spoilage.
And it adds flavor, too.
So don’t skimp on the amount of salt you use.
Also, never skip the step where you dissolve the sugar.
Sugar acts as a preservative, keeping bacteria from forming within your jam.
When you dissolve the sugar, you allow those bacteria to grow freely and multiply, which leads to mold growth inside the jar.
Use the right equipment
Make sure that you use a heavy saucepan and keep stirring constantly while boiling guava jam.
That ensures that the mixture cooks evenly and quickly, preventing scorching.
If you happen to burn your jam along the bottom of the pan, simply scrape the blackened bits off, discard, and start again.
There’s nothing worse than having burnt jam in the fridge.
How Can You Troubleshoot Problems With Guava Jam?
When I made my first batch of guava jam, I had a problem with the consistency being too thick.
After trying several recipes, I realized that the amount of sugar needed varied among each one.
To fix this issue, I started using less sugar until I found the right balance between sweetness and thickness.
If the jam isn’t thick enough, add up to 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, margarine, or half-and-half per 2 cups of berries.
You may even find adding water works well in place of another liquid ingredient like milk or juice.
If the jam is too thin, try increasing the amount of granulated white sugar.
Or, you could increase the amount of pectin powder in the recipe.
Pectin acts as a natural thickener, but it will only work properly if you follow the directions on the package carefully.
Ingredients for Guava Jam Recipe
- 6 pounds ripe guavas (about 8 large ones)
- 1 pound granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: 1/4 cup butter, margarine, or half-and-half
- Powdered pectin (optional)
- Water
Equipment
- 1 Jar
Ingredients
- 5 Guava
- 2 cups Sugar
- 3 tablespoon Lemon juice
- Salt
Instructions
- Wash and dry the guava before starting the guava jam preparation. Slice into tiny pieces.
- Put them in a deep pan, cover with 4 cups of water, and cook until the guava is completely soft and mushy. The cooked guava should be well mashed before being sieved to remove the seeds.
- The extracted pulp should be combined with salt, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Keep the flame going on the pan. Set the flame to medium for me. Bring the mixture to a full boil while stirring frequently. Stir constantly and turn down the flame as it thickens. Be cautious not to overcook. As jam cools, it will get thicker.
- Turn off the flame once the jam has thickened into a sauce. Pour into clean, disinfected glass bottles after cooling for approximately 10 minutes.
- Guava jam is prepared. It will gradually thicken nicely. Refrigerate or keep in a cool, dry location.
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My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.