Luscious Thick Guava Preserves (Printable version)

Sweet, tropical preserves perfect for toast, cheese pairings, or dessert fillings.

# What you need:

→ Fruit

01 - 3.3 pounds ripe guavas, approximately 10 to 12 medium fruits

→ Sweetener

02 - 3.5 cups granulated sugar

→ Acidity

03 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

→ Water

04 - 1 cup water

# Steps to follow:

01 - Rinse guavas thoroughly under cold water. Quarter each fruit and remove seeds using a spoon, preserving as much flesh as possible.
02 - Combine guava flesh and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and maintain a gentle simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until fruit softens completely.
03 - Mash softened guavas using a potato masher until desired consistency, or use an immersion blender for a uniformly smooth texture.
04 - Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or food mill to eliminate remaining seeds and achieve a smooth, uniform pulp.
05 - Return pulp to the saucepan. Add sugar and lemon juice, stirring thoroughly until sugar dissolves completely.
06 - Increase heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent adhesion to the pan bottom.
07 - Lower heat to medium and simmer while stirring frequently for 35 to 45 minutes until the mixture reaches jam-like thickness. Test by placing a small amount on a chilled plate; if it wrinkles when pushed, the setting point is reached.
08 - Skim away foam from the surface as it forms during cooking.
09 - Pour hot preserves into sterilized glass jars, leaving one-quarter inch headspace. Seal immediately. Allow to cool completely before refrigerating for up to three months, or process in a boiling water bath for extended shelf stability.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • This preserve tastes like sunshine in a jar, with a natural sweetness that doesn't require fancy ingredients or complicated techniques.
  • Once you master this, you'll have an elegant gift to give friends, a sophisticated spread for cheese boards, and a secret weapon for elevating simple desserts.
02 -
  • The wrinkle test on a cold plate is absolutely essential—it's the only reliable way to know your preserve will set properly, and skipping it will leave you with either syrup or rubber.
  • Those seeds embedded in guava flesh are stubborn little things, and pressing through a sieve really does make a difference in texture; it's worth the extra five minutes of work.
03 -
  • Don't skip sterilizing your jars—boil them for 10 minutes, dry them completely, and you'll never worry about spoilage or cloudy preserves.
  • The moment you see the mixture starting to darken in color is your signal you're close to doneness; this is when experienced jam makers start testing more frequently.
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