Guava

[dayna]

Soooooooo I've got three acres of Guava. lol

I actually like it, my parrots like it, my goats like it, my chickens like it, even my dogs'll eat them.

BUT there are still so many falling to the ground rotting.

So my question that I put to you my punawebbers is what oh what can I do with guava? I will be juicing about 100#s today to make wine for myself.

I know I can jam it, jelly it, syrup it and juice it. And I'm going to (I see christmas presents to the mainland in my families future!).

Other suggestions that are not the above? I was thinking of developing a guavarita mix that the person who receives it just has to add the booze and ice! That might be a fun christmas treat!

As always thanks for any input or help.

Dayna

www.E-Z-Caps.com

[Lee M-S]

drool, you're making me hungry for guava!

I sieve it to remove seeds, then freeze for smoothies and other "future" uses. (yeah, I have only one tree)

The "Tropical Fruit Cookbook" by Marilyn Rittenhouse Harris suggests using guava puree in:
stew, soup*, salad dressing, fruit sauce, catsup*, barbecue sauce*, vinegar, marinade, bread*, cake icing, pudding, mousse, sorbet, ice cream, curry, fruitsicles, fruit spread*, chutney*, punch*.
* she includes recipes for these.

She says it acts as a thickener in soups and stews, and the high pectin content makes it great for jam and marmalade.

I think your guavarita idea is the best!

[dayna]

Well I just put on a pot to boil the fruit down, then I'll blend it and then I'll strain it and lets see what it tastes like!

Dayna

www.E-Z-Caps.com

[Carey]

Make sure that you are listening to the song "Guava Jelly" to keep you boppin' along in the kitchen!

Bob Marley & the Ka'au Crater Boys are more up tempo than Johhny Nash, but any will but you in the guava jelly mood!

[MarkP]

As an aside, has anyone seen any evidence of the scale insect that was introduced to slow the guava down? It makes galls on the leaves.

[Correy Smith]

My neighbor told me to strain em thru a lady's stocking....
We boiled the wholes fruits in water and sugar and poured off the water, reserved for wine or jelly, it's the same stuff, just one gets the pectinand the other the yeast.
The soft boiled guava we sieved off for jams, and guave sauce ( like apple sauce).
40# yields about 3 gallons of wine and 2 gal jam.
I am hoping to make guava basted pork on the grill or smoke house.

[coppercoin40]

Dayna, did you ever make high bush cranberry catsup while in Alaska? I wonder if guava would make a good condiment made the same as cranberry catsup (?) here is the recipe:
Cook until soft: 1 lb onions chopped fine, 4 lbs (8 cups) highbush cranberry, 2 cups water. Rub through a coarse sieve. Add 2 cups vinegar, 4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon each of ground cloves, cinnamon, allspice, salt, celery seed and pepper (white pepper if you have it.) Boil until thick, pour into sterilized jars and seal. Serve with poultry, meat or baked beans.
You can add brown sugar & liquid smoke to make into a bar-b-q sauce. I have made cranberry ketsup a few times it is great as a seafood dip.

[mar1957]

Oh I'd forgotten about cranberry catsup...
We had a bumper crop of them this year!
Thanks.

[dayna]

I never made catsup, I just ate the cranberries!

Dayna

www.E-Z-Caps.com

[rainyjim]

aloha dayna!

About those Guavas - rotten or not!

I was thinking if you care to purchase some worms ( i like Eisenia fetida, or "red wigglers") you could practice vermiculture and create your own earth worm castings for use in your garden(s).

The fetida will eat virtually anything, including all of your kitchen scraps, ripe guava, rotten guava, and pre-mature guavas! Also, Chickens love to eat the fetidas - it's practically caviar to them! Also the earth worm castings the fetida make are often referred to as the "black gold" of fertilizers! I remember hearing about a puna local who had their own farm( maybe someone on punaweb recalls), but they shouldn't be hard to find and are rather inexpensive! Hope you find a good use for all that guava rather responsible of you to try and not waste any!

Cheers

rainyjim