How Do You Buy and Eat Guava? Step-by-Step Guide

Have you ever walked through the produce section and seen those funny-looking green fruits with yellow-green flesh?

Those are guavas! But have you ever wondered how you buy and eat guava the right way?

Guavas (gwa-vahs) are super tasty tropical fruits that a lot of people haven’t tried yet.

You’ll learn tricks for picking guavas that are perfectly ripe and ready to eat. Then, we’ll cover the right way to ripen guavas if you accidentally grab some under-ripe ones.

Once your guavas are ready, step-by-step instructions will show you how to easily cut into the unique fruits.

By the end, you’ll be a guava pro!

What is a Guava?

A guava is a tropical fruit that grows on small trees or plants. It has a unique oval shape and green skin when unripe. As the guava ripens, the skin turns yellow or maroon. The flesh inside is a bright pink, yellow, or red depending on the variety.

But the unique part is the inside. Cut open a ripe guava and you’ll find bright pink, red, or yellow flesh packed with tiny edible seeds. The flesh feels almost like biting into a firm jelly packed with flavor.

What does a guava taste like?

Think of a combo of strawberry and pear, with either sweet or tart notes. The sweetest guava varieties taste like candy!

Guavas are loaded with vitamin C and fiber too!

How to Buy Guavas

1. When are Guavas in Season?

Guavas are tropical fruits, so they have different peak seasons depending on where they’re grown. In warm regions like Florida, guavas are typically in season in the late fall and winter. In subtropical areas, the guava season may last from late summer through early spring.

Checking with your local grocery store is the best way to know when the guava season starts where you live.

What to look for when selecting guavas at the grocery store or market:

Color – Look for guavas that are a greenish-yellow hue when ripe. Avoid ones that are completely green or overly yellow/brown.

Firmness – Ripe guavas should be slightly soft when gently squeezed but not mushy. Rock-hard guavas need more time to ripen.

Avoid bruising – Pick guavas without any dark bruises, soft spots, or cracks in the skin. Minor scratches are okay.

Types of Guavas

While you’ll most likely find green-skinned guavas, there are many varieties with different sizes, colors, and flavors.

• Red guavas have a reddish-pink skin and sweet, strawberry-like taste.

• White guavas have yellow skin with crisp, slightly tart white flesh.

• Other types include pink guavas, lemon guavas, Thai guavas, and more. Red and white are the most common kinds at grocery stores.

How to Properly Ripen Guavas

1. Can you Eat Guavas Right Away?

It’s best not to eat guavas as soon as you get them home from the store. Unripe guavas are very hard and their flesh doesn’t have much flavor yet. You’ll want to let guavas ripen for a few days first before eating them. This allows the fruit to soften and develop its full, sweet tropical taste.

2. Ripening Guavas at Room Temperature

The best way to ripen guavas is to leave them at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Place them in a bowl or paper bag and check on them every day. Guavas will gradually become softer as they ripen over 2-5 days, depending on how firm they were when you bought them.

3. How to Tell if a Guava is Ripe and Ready to Eat

You’ll know a guava has finished ripening and is ready to eat when it has changed color from green to yellow or maroon-red. The fruit should also yield slightly when given a gentle squeeze, but shouldn’t feel mushy.

The smell is another clue – ripe guavas give off a sweet, tropical aroma.

How to Cut and Eat a Guava

1. Washing the Guava First

Before slicing into a ripe guava, give the outside a good cleaning. Run it under cool water from the faucet or sink. Use your fingers to rub off any dirt, dust, or grime stuck to the skin.

For extra cleaning, you can take a vegetable brush and gently scrub the guava. Washing gets rid of any yucky germs or contaminants on the surface so they don’t get inside when you cut the fruit open.

2. Cutting Into the Guava

First, use a sharp knife to slice off both the stem and bottom ends of the guava to make flat surfaces. Stand the guava upright on one of the flat ends.

Carefully run your knife along the outside, removing the thick green or yellow peel in strips.

Try not to cut off too much of the pink or red fleshy part underneath.

Once the peel is all off, you can cut the guava in half lengthwise or into slices like a kiwi.

If you don’t want the seeds in the middle, scoop them out with a spoon.

3. Eating the Guava Flesh and Seeds

The soft, jelly-like guava flesh is so delicious to eat fresh! Use a spoon to scoop it right out of the skin. The tiny crunchy seeds in the middle are okay to eat too – they’re edible and have nutrients. If you prefer, you can pick out the seeds before eating the flesh.

But they’re safe to eat.

4. Discarding the Peel

After scooping out all the yummy fruity insides, you’ll just have the outer peel left over. This tough greenish-yellow peel doesn’t taste good, so you can compost it or throw it away. Just give it a quick rinse first before tossing it in the trash or compost bin.

Tasty Ways to Enjoy Guavas

1. Eating Guavas Fresh

One of the yummiest ways to have guavas is just eating them fresh! Once a guava is ripe and ready, slice it in half right down the middle. Use a spoon to scoop out the soft, sweet fruity flesh from the skin. You can eat the tiny little seeds in the middle too since they’re edible. Or pick them out first if you don’t want the crunchiness.

2. Making Guava Juice

If you’re a big fruit juice fan, you’ll love making fresh guava juice at home! Take ripe guava fruits and slice them in half. Then either squeeze the flesh to get the juices out or blend it up. If you don’t want the seeds, pour the juice through a strainer to remove them. Guava juice is delicious all on its own or mixed with other juices like orange or pineapple.

3. Blending Guava Smoothies

Guavas make smoothies extra thick, creamy, and flavorful. The soft flesh blends up perfectly into a smoothie. A tasty combo is a guava, yogurt, milk, banana, and a drizzle of honey. You can blend guava with other fruits too like strawberries or mangos for a tropical smoothie treat.

4. Guava in Fruit Salads

For a fun new twist on fruit salad, dice up some fresh guava and toss it in! The sweet yet slightly tart taste of guava is amazing when mixed with fruits like grapes, strawberries, and orange slices. Diced guava also makes a yummy, colorful addition to green salads with nuts, cheese, and a light dressing.

Guava Dishes and Recipes

1. Guava Jam

Make your delicious guava jam at home! Scoop the ripe flesh out of guavas and mash it up. Cook the fruit puree with sugar, lemon juice, and a bit of water until it thickens into a spreadable jam. Guava jam tastes amazing on toast, English muffins, or swirled into yogurt.

2. Guava Salsa

For a tropical twist on salsa, dice up guava flesh and mix it with chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, and jalapeño. Scoop up this fresh and flavorful guava salsa with tortilla chips.

3. Guava Pastries

The unique sweet-tart flavor of guavas makes them perfect for baked goods like pastries. Make guava-filled empanadas, danishes, or strudels by cooking down the fruit into a thick compote filling first. 

4. Guava Upside-Down Cake

An upside-down cake showcases the beautiful color and flavor of guavas. Arrange sliced guava in the bottom of a cake pan, then pour a butter cake batter over top. After baking, invert the cake so the caramelized guava slices are on top. Serve with whipped cream!

5. Guava BBQ Sauce

For a fruity spin on BBQ sauce, blend guava puree, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and spices like cumin and chili powder. This tasty-sweet sauce is great for coating grilled meats like chicken or pork.

Guava’s Nutritional Superpowers

• Guavas are loaded with vitamin C – way more than oranges! A single guava packs over 200% of the recommended daily value. Vitamin C:

• Supports a strong immune system to fight off sickness.

• Helps cuts and bruises heal faster.

• Acts as an antioxidant protecting cells from damage.

• These tropical fruits are also an amazing source of fiber. The fiber in guavas:

• Keep your digestive system regular.

• Prevents constipation by adding bulk.

• May help lower cholesterol levels.

• Guava seeds provide healthy omega-3 fatty acids that are great for your brain and heart.

How to Keep Guavas Fresh

1. At Room Temperature

• If your guavas are unripe (firm and green), leave them at room temperature to ripen.

• Place them in a paper bag or bowl and check on them every day.

• Ripe guavas will turn a yellowish-green color and become slightly soft when gently squeezed.

2. In the Refrigerator

• Once guavas are fully ripe, you can store them in the refrigerator to extend their freshness.

• Place the ripe guavas in a plastic bag or airtight container in the crisper drawer.

• Refrigerated guavas should last 3-5 days. Make sure to eat them before they get overly soft or brown.

3. How to Freeze Guavas

• You can freeze guava puree or sliced guava to enjoy them for longer periods.

• Peel and mash ripe guavas into a puree, or slice off the rind and cut into pieces.

• Spread puree or slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid.

• Transfer frozen guavas to an airtight freezer bag or container for up to 10-12 months.

Final Words

Guavas may look a bit strange compared to everyday fruits, but they’re a delicious and nutritious tropical treat! With their unique pink, red, or yellow flesh and tiny edible seeds, guavas provide a fun flavor adventure.

In this guide, you learned how to pick out perfectly ripe guavas by checking the color and giving them a gentle squeeze. You discovered the best ways to allow unripe guavas to ripen at home over a few days. Step-by-step instructions showed how easy it is to cut into a guava’s soft flesh.

From eating guavas fresh to making juices, smoothies, and jams, there are so many tasty ways to enjoy their amazing sweet-tart tropical taste. Guavas are packed with vitamin C, fiber, and other good-for-you nutrients too!

So don’t be intimidated by guavas’ funky appearance.

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