Guava Paste (Printable)

Smooth, fragrant guava paste ideal for pastries, desserts, and cheese pairings. Made with fresh guavas and sugar.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 2.2 lbs ripe guavas, trimmed and quartered

→ Sweetener

02 - 2.25 cups granulated sugar

→ Acid

03 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

→ Liquid

04 - 0.5 cup water

# How To Make It:

01 - Wash the guavas thoroughly, trim the ends, and cut them into quarters. Remove seeds if desired for a smoother final texture.
02 - Place guava quarters and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the guavas are completely soft.
03 - Remove from heat and use a food mill or fine mesh strainer to puree the guava pulp, discarding seeds and skins.
04 - Measure the resulting guava puree. For every cup of puree, prepare approximately 1 cup of sugar, adjusting as needed based on yield and fruit sweetness.
05 - Return the guava puree to the pot. Add sugar and lemon juice, stirring well to combine.
06 - Cook over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent sticking, for 40 to 50 minutes. The mixture will thicken and pull away from the sides of the pan.
07 - When the paste is thick, glossy, and holds its shape on a spoon, pour it into a parchment-lined loaf pan or baking dish. Smooth the top surface.
08 - Let cool at room temperature until firm, approximately 2 to 3 hours. Unmold and slice as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It transforms humble guavas into something elegant enough to serve with fancy cheese, yet so easy you'll want to make it constantly.
  • Once it's cooling on your counter, you've basically got gold in a pan—use it for pastries, swirl it into desserts, or just eat spoonfuls when no one's looking.
02 -
  • If you don't stir constantly during the cooking phase, the bottom will scorch and you'll taste it throughout the entire batch—I learned this the hard way and ended up with bits of dark, burnt flavor in what should have been pure and smooth.
  • The paste will seem too thin when you first pour it out, which panics everyone, but trust the cooling process—it firms up dramatically as it sits and cools completely.
03 -
  • Use a wooden spoon or heatproof silicone spatula for stirring, since it won't conduct heat and won't scratch your pan, and you'll appreciate the comfort during that long 40-minute stir session.
  • If you're impatient to slice it, you can speed cooling slightly by spreading the paste thinner in a wider, shallower dish, though the traditional loaf pan method gives you those beautiful thick slices that feel more luxurious.
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