At the peak of guava season in Hawaii there are literally thousands of tons of wild fruit free for the picking. It can be fun to explore the many possibilities of this amaising bounty. This versatile fruit is used for all sorts of confections and desserts such as ice creams, sorbets (sherbets), sauces, and sweet drinks. They are also delicious eaten raw. Guavas are plants in the Myrtle family genus Psidium, which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. Bayabas or guava is a fruit bearing shrub or small tree that grows in the tropical climate like Hawaii, Mexico, Peru and the Philippines. Bayabas is widely used in the Philippines as herbal medicine and is recognized by the Philippine Department of Health for its antiseptic property. Bayabas or guava fruit is known for being rich in vitamin C and vitamin A. Bayabas leaves and fruits contain eugenol, tannin, saponins, amydalin, phenolic acids, malic acid, ash, aldehydes, catequinic components and flavonoids. Guava is used in herbal medicine as antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, antioxidant hepatoprotective, anti-allergy, antimicrobial, anti-plasmodial, anti-cough, antidiabetic, and antigenotoxic. Bayabas or guava tree grows 3 to10 meters tall with greenish to red-brownish smooth bark. Bayabas produce a round globular bayabas fruit that starts as a flower. The bayabas fruit is green and turns yellowish-green and soft when ripe. Bayabas fruit has many small hard seeds contained in a yellowish pulp.
Guava sauce is a sweet or savory liquid or semi liquid
food which is prepared using ripened or raw guavas. It can be made
savory or sweet depending on the choice of ingredients. The ripened pink
guava is used for making the dessert sauce which is teamed with
desserts like vanilla. Generally the guava is cut into small
pieces and cooked with other ingredients while preparing the sauce, but commercial guava paste can be used for the sauce
preparation. Sometimes guava jam is also used for making the sauce.
While making the savory sauce these fruit chunks are mixed with
ingredients like pepper, garlic, and salt, etc. This sauce can remain
fresh for about a week when stored under refrigeration. Culinary Usage Guava sauce, in the savory form is used as a marinade for pork, fish, and as a salad dressing. If used as a dessert sauce the guava is served over ice creams and desserts like coconut floating island. Apart from being used as a marinade or salad dressing, this sauce is also used as a dip for snacks like empanadas, or fries. It is also used as a base for cooking gourmet meat dishes.  Preparation Overview of Various Guava Sauces A basic guava sauce is simple to make out of boiled guavas and sugar, but add coconut milk to make it more interesting . Larger fruit requires more peeling than the smaller varities. The small ones only need the top and bottom ends cut to expose the seeds unless they are a bit green, them most of the peel should be removed. The fruit is then placed in a stainless steel pot and boiled until soft enough to puree. Add a little water or coconut milk to start the boiling. The amount of liquid added controls how thick the sauce will be. Add up to a cup of water and a 13 oz.can of coconut milk per gallon of fruit, and adjust as needed. This sauce can be served over rice or almost any combination of sliced fruits but has many other uses, so experiment.
Recipes There is an easy way to make a healthy and delicious drink that is absolutely free! When guavas are in season, gather about a gallon of ripe ones. Some people even gather the ones that have fallen on the ground. Reject the ones that have insect holes or other damages. Rinse them under water, drain and add to a pot. You can crush them with a potato masher, but it isn't necessary for the soft or small ones. Add a pint or two of water and boil until they begin to fall apart and are sterilized. In a pressure cooker that is at least 5 minutes. Let cool, then strain through some sort of colander which will remove most of the seeds. Then strain again through a strainer to remove smaller seeds, ctc. Refrigerate. To make it more interesting, add an equal amount of red hibiscus tea (Hibiscus sabdariffa). This plant is easy to grow, even from cuttings. In summer it grows fast and will make a large bush. When you prune it back, even the branches can be cut in lengths to fit in a pot along with the leaves and flowers that are to be boiled. Add some sliced ginger to make it more interesting No need to add sugar, but a pinch of stevia or a little fruit juice can adjust this drink to your taste. The small round guava are usually the sweetest. The larger fruit are usually more flavorful from trees that cows use for shade. Ripening season begins at sea level and works its way up the mountain, according to each variety of the plant. This cycle is usually repeated. On some maps large parts of the Big Island are designated to ne "native guava forest." Guava Punch
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 tea bags 1 tbsp peeled and sliced ginger 2 cups guava juice 3/4 cup pineapple juice 2 tbsp lemon juice ice cubes mint sprigs for garnish Combine the boiling water, tea bags and ginger in a pitcher and keep aside for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and ginger and add the guava juice, pineapple juice and lemon juice and mix well. Serve in tall glasses over ice. Garnish with mint springs if desired. Iced Magic
2 cups watermelon (tarbuj) cubes
1 cup guava juice 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp salt 16 ice-cubes For The Garnish: 8 watermelon wedges 16 watermelon (tarbuj) balls Combine all the ingredients, except ice cubes, in a mixer and blend into a smooth juice. Keep aside. In each hi-ball glass place 4 ice-cubes and pour equal quantity of the juice. Serve immediately garnished with 2 melon wedges and 4 watermelon balls in each glass. Guava Sorbet
2 cups ripe guavas, chopped
1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp lemon juice a few drops of raspberry red food colour Combine the guavas, sugar and 1 cup of water in a pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes till the guavas soften and the sugar syrup is of one string consistency. Cool slightly and blend in a liquidiser. Strain through a sieve and add the lemon juice and red food colour so that the mixture is pink in colour. Mix well and cool completely. Pour into a shallow container. Cover and freeze till it is firm. Serve small scoops in long stemmed ice-cream glasses. Guava Jam This jam can be boiled with various broths to make glazes and sauces and marinades.
3 C guavas (about 3)
3 C water 1 1/2 C sugar 1 Tbs vinegar 1 tsp lime juice 1/4 tsp salt Peel and cut guavas into small pieces (about 1/2 inch pieces.) Transfer to a pot and add 2 C of water, sugar, vinegar, lime, and salt. Bring to a boil (on high heat.) Then reduce heat to medium and boil for about 30 minutes. Remove from stove and set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture through a metal sifter (into a pan)to separate out the seeds. Use a spoon to force the mixture through the sifter. Pass the mixture through the sifter for a second time. Transfer the guava mixture back into the pot. Add the remaining 1 C of water on medium high until just at a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes or until thickened. Move pot from stove and set aside to cool. Transfer jam into jars and refrigerate. Jam will stiffen as it cools. This recipe makes about 12 ounces. Of course you can increase the amount if you need to. Jam should simmer at a very slow boil. Adjust the heat if necessary. If it is too high, the jam will burn. If you are making more jam than you can eat in a reasonable amount of time, seal the jars with paraffin. Add a small spoonful to a glass of gingerale or soda water with some ice to make a nice drink. GUAVA BREAD1-3/4 Cups sifted flour 3 Tbsp soft butter 2 tsp baking powder 2 Eggs ¼ tsp baking soda 1 6oz Guava Nectar concentrate (or about 1/2 cup guava jam) ½ tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla ¾ Cup macadamia nuts chopped ½ Cup brown sugar, firmly packed Sift first four ingredients together. Add macadamia nuts to dry ingredients; mix. Cream brown sugar, butter and eggs until light and fluffy. Stir in one half of the flour-nut mixture, then Guava Nectar concentrate and vanilla. Blend in remaining flour-nut mixture. Pour into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees, 50-60 minutes. Links |
Friday, October 4, 2013
Guava
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