Guava Juice Recipe

Attention guava lovers! You have got to try this homemade guava juice recipe using only a handful of ingredients. Go ahead and reap the health benefits of this Caribbean beverage from the comfort of your home.

Ah! Guava! Guava! so good that you gotta say it twice, right? 

I am a self processed guava girl BUT...getting hold of it can present itself as a challenge at the best of times.

Like guineps, guava is like gold here, when you can get hold of it, stock up! I love guava cheese, guava turnovers, cheesecake, you name it and i'm eating or drinking it.

I'm going back to basics by creating a very simple juice recipe made from freshly picked guavas. 

Nothing too fancy or over complicated as the whole concept is to focus on the health benefits.

What is guava?

Guava is an round or oval shaped fruit with small edible seeds that comes from the myrtle family. The fruit is native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America.

The word guava derives from Arawak "guayabo" meaning guava tree. From a botannical perspective guavas are considered berries.

It is not unusual to find guava in other regions of the world such as Florida, the subtropic regions of Asia and Polynesia due to wide spread cultivation. 

There are different types of species of guava with so many names - Strawberry Guava, Lemon Guava, Apple Guava, Red Malaysian Guava, Pineapple guava and so fourth.

There are too many names to mention, but the above gives you an idea of just how abundant guava truly is.

The outer skin when ripe can range from light green, yellow to a red/brown (depending on the species) and can be eaten in its ripe stage.

The flesh/pulp can be anything from an off white to a deep red or pink again, this depends on the species.

The taste and ripeness determination

As the guava matures, it will start to ripen and the colour of the rind should lighten. There are a few ways that you can determine the readiness of guava.

Just like mango, if you give the rind a gentle squeeze it should be slightly soft and not too firm.

Also as the fruit ripens, you should be able to smell it. The smell will become quite strong the longer it is left, to the point where you won't even need to hold it towards your nose.

Also, the taste, should be more on the sweet side and not too sour or bitter.

What goes well with guava?

Any of the following pair very well with guava;

• Coconut milk
• Pineapple
• Lychee
• Mango
• Banana
• Strawberry
• Passionfruit
• Guinep (Chennette, Spanish Lime)
• Orange
• Yellow Jackfruit

What is the best way to preserve guava juice?

If you don't intend to drink the whole pitcher then simply pour the juice into an ice cube tray, freeze and use at your leisure!

That way, nothing goes to waste!

Ways to use guava

You can use guava in so many ways to make any of the following;

• Cheesecake
• Turnovers/empanadas
• BBQ sauce and/or any other type of sauce
• Fruit punch
• Sweets i.e guava cheese
• Paste
• Ice cream/sorbet
• Juice/smoothies
• Cake

And of course the most original method is to eat it in its original raw state.

The health benefits

Like many fruit and vegetables, guava is no different in being considered a superfood and a powerhouse with a host of health benefits;

• Contains antioxidants, vitamin c, potassium and high in fibre.
• Lowers blood sugar levels.
• Drinking guava leaf tea helps to stablise blood sugar levels.
• Boost heart healthy, protecting it from damage caused by free radicals.
• Lowers bad cholesterol (Low Density Lipoprotein) and promotes our good cholesterol (High Density Lioprotein).
• Helps to ease constiption and regulates bowel movements.
• Relieves painful symptoms of menstruation (source).

The steps

• Slice the guava in half, cut off the ends and then proceed to peel the skin and discard it.
• Once peeled, add the water and ginger to the blender.
• Add the guava then proceed to puree (you may need to do this in batches).

• Use a fine mesh strainer to strain off the juice from the puree over a jug/pitcher or a bowl.
• Stir in the lime juice and sweeten, if required to taste.

Notes and tips

• Keep any leftover guava juice refrigerated and consume within 5 days.
• If your guava is not ripe, leave it to ripen on the countertop.
• Feel free to mix things up by adding some pineapple, grape or mango juice instead of just using water.
• You can get guava from most grocery stores/supermarkets that cater to African Caribbean/Asian and Latinos.
• The ripeness of the guava will determine whether or not you will need to add sweetener.
• For sweetener use a liquid low GI such as agave syrup, coconut nectar or coconut nectar
• If you don't have a juicer, it is recommended to strain the juice first to remove the pulp and seeds.
• You can use any variation of guava to make this recipe i.e red, white etc...
• If you have a powerful blender i.e Vitamix, Ninja or Blendtech you don't need to remove the seeds first.
• If you want your guava juice to be much thinner then stir in more water/ fruit juice.

More drink recipes to try

• Jamaican Ginger Beer
• Aloe Vera Juice
• Tamarind Juice
• Ginger Turmeric Shot Recipe
• Sea Moss Smoothie
• Jamaican June Plum
• Jamaican Lemonade
• Mauby Drink
• Iced Cerasee Tea

**Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**