Everything You Need to Know about How to Eat Guavas

There’s something really special about seeing those ripe guavas popping up in my local grocery store, farmer’s markets and backyards all across town. 

If you’re not familiar with this delicious fruit, guavas are a small to medium-sized, tropical fruit from South America that looks pretty boring on the outside, but explodes with a sweet, tart flavor on the inside.   

San Diego’s balmy climate and vibrant culinary scene make it the perfect place to try out all kinds of creations made with this exotic fruit. From their rich history to their nutritional benefits and culinary versatility, guavas have their own cult following (it’s kind of like Kombucha, people either LOVE them or they don’t). And it’s not because of Starbucks’ Iced Guava Passionfruit Drink, no, fresh guava juice has been around much longer than these corporate storefronts, which have been charged, btw, with leaving out one important ingredient in many of their ‘refreshers:’ fresh juices from real fruit.

Where Did Guavas Come From?

Originally native to South and Central America, guavas came to Florida, Hawaii and California centuries ago. Today, these tropical fruits thrive in San Diego’s warm climate, gracing local markets and backyard gardens with their sweet scent and juicy flesh. Today, there are all different varieties of guava growing in San Diego. We’ve got pink guava, lemon guava, we’ve got white guavas, pineapple guava and more. 

The Benefits of Eating Guava: A San Diego Superfood

Ripe guavas, abundant in San Diego’s local markets, are packed with essential nutrients and vitamins. From Vitamin C to dietary fiber and folic acid, guavas offer a plethora of health benefits for anyone seeking a nutritious and delicious snack. And with its high fiber content, guavas are great for promoting gut health—let’s just say a cup of guava every day will keep your constipation away.

How to Tell If A Guava is Ripe:

When picking out guavas, keep an eye out for ripe guavas with vibrant colors and a sweet scent. Opt for fruits that yield slightly to gentle pressure, a sign of their ripeness and readiness to be eaten. If you can’t find them ripe, placing unripe guavas in a paper bag helps to trap the ethylene gas that the fruit naturally emits as it ripens. This gas speeds up the ripening process by creating a more concentrated environment around the fruit.

Can You Eat Guava Seeds?

Guavas contain edible seeds that are packed with nutritional value, including dietary fiber and essential minerals. Some people claim guava seeds add a crunchy texture to the fruit. Umm…yeah, whatevs. I don’t find them that fun, because they interfere with my personal enjoyment of the guava’s soft texture. Plus, I swear some of them are hard enough to crack a tooth. Sometimes I just swallow them whole, but I’d rather grind them up and sprinkle them over a salad. To each their own.

How to Remove Guava Seeds:

To deseed guavas, slice the fruit in half with a sharp knife and scoop out the seeds with a spoon or your fingers. Now, you might notice that scooping out the seeds can cause you to lose a lot of the flesh. I’ve found one solution to this, which is to dump the flesh and the seeds into a cup, add some water and give it a whirl with a hand-held blender for just a second (or shake vigorously in a shaker) to separate the seeds from the flesh. After that, the seeds will sink to the bottom and you can pour off the liquid. Next, either strain the guava chunks from the water or blend it up even more and drink it like a guava smoothie. 

How to Store Guavas and Keep Them Fresh:

To preserve the freshness of guavas, store the unripe fruit in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. I love leaving mine out in a basket on the kitchen counter, because they fill the entire space with their deliciously sweet smell. It’s like no other fruit I know of. If you have ripe guavas that need to be eaten soon, store them in the frig in an airtight container to extend their shelf life. For long-term storage, freeze guava slices in ziplock bags or airtight containers, so you can enjoy their tropical flavor year-round.

How to Eat Guavas (My Favorite Guava Recipe Ideas):

• Guava Paste:
  • Guava paste is a dense, sweet jelly-like substance made from pureed guava fruit and sugar, although I prefer to use agave nectar. The paste has a rich, concentrated flavor that pairs well with both sweet and savory dishes.
  • Uses for Guava Paste: Guava paste can be sliced and enjoyed on its own as a sweet treat, used as a filling for pastries and desserts, or incorporated into savory dishes for a unique tropical twist.
• Guava Jam Made with Guava Paste:
  • Guava jam made with guava paste is a luscious spread bursting with the tropical flavor of guavas. It’s made by cooking down guava paste with chunks of guava, water, and lemon juice until it reaches a thick, jam-like consistency.
  • Uses for Guava Jam Made with Guava Paste: Spread it on toast, swirl it into yogurt or oatmeal, or use it as a filling for cakes and cookies. This jam adds a delightful tropical twist to your favorite breakfast and dessert recipes.
• Guava Paste and Cheese:
  • Guava paste and cheese is a classic Latin American snack or appetizer that combines the sweet richness of guava paste with the savory tang of cheese. Popular cheese choices include cream cheese, queso blanco, or sharp cheddar.
  • Uses for Guava Paste and Cheese: Slice the guava paste and cheese and enjoy them together on crackers or bread for a delicious sweet-and-savory bite. This combination is perfect for entertaining guests or as a simple, satisfying snack. Another way to combine these favors is by incorporating the guava paste into cheesecake.
• Guava Juice:
  • Guava juice is a refreshing beverage made by blending ripe guava fruit with water and a touch of sugar or honey, depending on your preference. It has a naturally tangy, sweet flavor that quenches thirst on hot days.
  • Uses for Guava Juice: Serve guava juice chilled over ice for a refreshing drink on a warm day, or use it as a base for tropical cocktails and mocktails. Guava juice is also great for blending into smoothies or mixing with other fruit juices, like passion fruit juice for added flavor complexity.

As you can see, guavas are as diverse as they are delicious, with endless ways to wake up your taste buds. Beyond the classics like guava paste and cheese or guava juice, there are myriad ways to incorporate guavas into both sweet and savory dishes.

For a sweet treat, try making homemade guava ice cream or adding a splash of raw guava juice to a fruit salad for an unexpected burst of flavor. On the savory side, try drizzling guava barbecue sauce over grilled meats or fish for a tropical twist. You can actually experiment with incorporating guava into all different kinds of sauces. It’s fun to try a new food every once in a while, and there’s so much to discover in the world of guavas.