How To Eat Guava With Ease

Guava is a delicious tropical fruit known for its medicinal and culinary uses. It is native to Central and South America, and as well as some parts of Mexico. It comes in different varieties and ranges from 2 to 6 inches in size.

Well-ripened guava has a strong smell that gives a hint of lemon. Depending on ripening condition, guava can be either sweet or sour, and the color of their flesh can vary from white to dark pink.

As they contain essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, polyphenols, and dietary fibers, etc, guava provides numerous health benefits. To enjoy these benefits to the fullest, it is important to know how to eat guava in the right manner.

Selecting the perfect guava is equally important and be done by keeping few points in mind.

Selecting perfect guava is not rocket science and one can do it just by keeping a few points in mind.

How to choose the right guava

Guavas are often added to fruit smoothies and dessert dishes to enhance the flavor of the smoothie. However, bad guava can completely ruin the smoothie.

Several indicators like size, color, and texture of guava can help a person to select the perfect guava. 

Some of these indicators are as follows.

1. Color– While ripening, guava has a solid green color during the initial stage but during the final stage it changes to light green with a glimpse of yellow and pink. Color change indicates correct plucking time for the guava. Leaving them further on the tree will make them mushy and tasteless.
2. Smell– The strong smell of the guava gets stronger once they are ripened. The strong aroma of the ripe guava is noticeable from a distance and is hard to ignore.
3. Texture– During the Initial stage of ripening, guava has a firm and rigid texture. However, during the final stage, its texture is similar to that of ripened avocado. Guavas can be harvested once its rind can be pushed in. Guava with large blemishes and bruises should be avoided as they often indicate that guava has gone bad due to over-ripening.
4. Size– Guava ranges from 2 to 6 inches in size, and they attain their full size even before the ripening.
5.  Season– Guava is not a seasonal fruit and is available throughout the year. 

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How to Wash And Cut Guava

Clean guava before consuming them or adding them to smoothies. 

The steps involved in cleaning and cutting guava are as follows.

Step 1- As the rind of the guava is eatable, thoroughly wash the guava under a running stream of water to get rid of dirt, impurities, pesticides, fertilizers, and other compounds present on the rind the guava. 

Step-2 – If guava is in abundance and you would like to consume them over a couple of days, refrigerate them after cutting and patting them.

How to Pat Dry Guava

Pat drying the guava involves the following steps

1. Thoroughly wash guavas
2. Cut guavas into small slices.
3. Dry freshly cut guava slices to eliminate water and moisture. Three main methods of removing moisture are as follows.
   1.  Leave freshly cut guava slices in the open air and away from direct sunlight to let the air absorb all the water and moisture.
   2. Pat dry guava slices using the microwave. Preheat the microwave oven at its minimum setting and then put guava slices in it. Take care of the temperature setting to ensure that guava slices are just dried and not cooked.
   3. Pat dry guava using a dehydrator.

Step 3-  Guava fruit can be consumed as a whole along with the seeds. However, if the seeds are too big then you can scoop out the flesh of guava and enjoy it. Apple guava, a common variety of guava generally available in the market has small seeds.

Step 4-  Because of its dense nature, some people find it difficult to eat guava. However, the inner side (flesh side) of the guava is soft and easier to eat. To eat guava with ease, cut it into small slices ( keep the rind intact) and enjoy.

The deliciousness of guava can be enhanced further by dipping guava slices in the soy sauce and sprinkle a little salt on them. These slices can also be caramelized.

Different Guava Recipe Ideas

Some ways to enjoy the guava fruits as follows:-

1. Boiling the guava slices– Cut guava into small slices and boil them in water to make them extremely tender. These slices can later be added to cakes, desserts, and fruit salads to enhance their flavor.
2. Added to Barbecue sauce-Juice a freshly cut guava and add it to barbecue juice or cocktail.
3. Making Glazes & Marinades– Because of its sweet flavor, some varieties of guava are used for making glazes and marinades.
4. Making Jam, Jelly, and Jello-. Guava can be sauteed to make a warm caramelized syrup which can be used as a topping for pancakes and waffles to make them delicious. Guava can also be used for making jam, jelly, and jello.
5. Added to Meat Dish– Guava can also be added to meat dishes as the sweet flavor of the guava well compliments the savory flavors of the meat dish.

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Frequently Asked Questions

(1) Can we eat guava seeds?

Yes, guava seeds are safe to eat. Guava is one of the few fruits which is mostly eaten as a whole. Apple guava, a common guava variety available in the market has very small seeds. Even with other varieties that have large seeds, there is no need to worry and if you like you can easily remove them.

(2) How to remove seeds from the guava?

Cut guava into four to six slices, and use the end of a spoon to gently push seeds out of the guava flesh. You can also use the thumb to remove the seeds but keep hygiene in mind.

(3) Is it safe to eat guava at night?

It depends.

Guava is considered a poor man’s apple because of its rich nutritious profile.

The laxative properties of dietary fibers in guava improves bowel movement without causing discomfort. So, by this logic, it is safe ( and best) to eat guava at night.

However, As per Ayurveda, the cold tendency of the guava makes them unsuitable to be consumed at night as they increase the risk of cough and cold.

if you are already suffering from a cold and have weak immunity, it is better not to eat guava at night as it could worsen the situation.

(4) How to know if guava has gone bad?

Blemishes and bruises on the rind of the guava indicate that it has gone bad, and won’t taste good. On ripening, guava changes color from dark green to yellowish-green and this is the guava you should look for.

A touch of pink color on the fruit indicates the best form of the fruit.

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(5) How does guava taste like?

Depending on the ripening, guava can taste from sour to sweet. Guava is an excellent thirst quencher, and its taste is defined as a combination between a pear and strawberry.

Some varieties of guava taste like a combination of grapefruit and pear and have a very sweet smell.  The pleasant sweet smell indicates that guava is well ripened.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about the topic and is not be taken as medical advice or as an alternative to medical advice, treatment, and/or diagnosis. Always consult with your doctor before trying out any of the remedies/recipes suggested in the blog post.

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