Guava Jam

Growing up, we had several fruit trees in our backyard and one of my favorite was our guava tree. That is mostly because it was my favorite tree to climb but apart from that, every guava season, we would eat guavas until our bellies hurt and sometimes my mother would make guava jam. Some time ago, I got a bunch of guavas from Imperfect Foods and was reminded of my mom’s guava jam so I decided to make some. And after seeing how easy guava jam is to make, I had to share the recipe and this random childhood memory with you all 🙃

This jam was honestly so easy to make that after making it, I wondered why I ever buy jam at the store. All you need is fruit, sugar, some lemon juice and water. I didn’t even need fruit pectin. Fruit already contains pectin in different quantities so a lot of fruit jams may not have a problem thickening and setting if they are cooked long enough.

For those who haven’t had guavas before, some people describe the taste of a guava as a cross between a pear and a strawberry. I have never thought of it like that but if you can imagine that combination, that’s pretty close to the flavor. They also have a bunch of super hard seeds that I bet can break a tooth so you should definitely strain them out when making this jam. Either way it is super delicious and whether you have tried guavas or not, I think you will enjoy this jam.

Guava Jam

This recipe yields about 12 to 16 oz of jam

• 5 to 10 guavas (about 2 cups chopped)
• 3 cups water
• 1 1/4 cup sugar (or same quantity as guava puree)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Method

Trim off tips and chop guavas. Boil them in water over medium heat for about 20 to 30 minutes or until flesh is very soft.

Turn the heat off and using an immersion blender or a potato masher, blend or mash until completely pureed. Strain the puree into a separate bowl to remove all seeds. Return the strained puree to the pan and over medium heat. You can also measure the puree first to make sure you add an equal amount of sugar.

Add sugar to the puree and stir then add lemon juice. Cook until mixture thickens a little (about 10 to 15 mins) or to preferred consistency. Keep in mind that it will thicken some more when cooled. Pour in a sterilized jar and let it cool. Enjoy and store in the fridge.