Homemade Guava Jelly (Printable)

A luscious preserve crafted from ripe guavas, ideal for spreading, filling, or glazing your favorite treats.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 3.3 pounds ripe guavas, quartered with skin and seeds intact
02 - 4 cups water

→ Sweetener and Gelling

03 - 4 cups granulated sugar
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

# How To Make It:

01 - Wash guavas thoroughly under cold running water. Cut into quarters, preserving the skins and seeds for natural pectin content.
02 - Place guava quarters in a large saucepan, add 4 cups water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until fruit is very soft and breaks down easily.
03 - Line a large strainer with double-layered cheesecloth and position over a bowl. Pour cooked fruit and liquid into the strainer. Allow to drip undisturbed for at least 2 hours or overnight. Do not press or squeeze to maintain clarity.
04 - Measure the extracted juice and calculate sugar needed at a 1:1 ratio. Pour juice into a clean saucepan, add lemon juice, and stir in the measured sugar until fully dissolved.
05 - Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat. Continue boiling rapidly while stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches 220°F on a candy thermometer, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Skim off foam as it accumulates.
06 - Place a small spoonful of hot jelly on a cold plate and allow to cool slightly. Push with your finger; if the surface wrinkles and holds, the gel stage is achieved.
07 - Pour hot jelly into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace from the rim. Seal jars immediately with sterilized lids to create a vacuum seal.
08 - Allow jars to cool completely at room temperature undisturbed. Store in a cool, dark cupboard away from direct sunlight.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It turns a handful of fruit into something that tastes like concentrated sunshine, perfect for sneaking onto toast at breakfast.
  • Once you taste homemade guava jelly, the store-bought version feels like a shadow of what jelly should actually be.
  • The process feels almost magical—fruit and water transform into pure, gleaming jewel-tones with almost no effort beyond waiting.
02 -
  • The temptation to squeeze that cheesecloth is real and strong, but transparent jelly is worth the patience—I learned this by squeezing once and getting a lovely cloudy result that tasted perfect but looked like a mistake.
  • If your jelly doesn't set, it's not a failure; it becomes guava syrup, which is equally delicious over ice cream, in cocktails, or swirled into yogurt.
  • The gel stage temperature is non-negotiable—get a good candy thermometer because guessing has left me with both runny disappointments and rubber erasers masquerading as jelly.
03 -
  • If your jelly is too soft, you can always re-cook it—measure it back out, add a touch more lemon juice, and boil it again until it reaches gel stage, which catches most mistakes gracefully.
  • Sterilizing your jars matters more than people admit; I learned this when one jar started growing mold while its neighbors stayed perfect for months, simply because I'd skipped the boiling step.
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