> FRESH BITES: GUAVAS
Canadians of all nationalities are discovering the joy of the tropical fruit that smells like a bouquet of flowers
I met my first guava last month on a hill overlooking the town of Machakos, Kenya.
I’d been huffing and puffing up the red dirt road with my sister Janet, to the delight of the local boys, who ran beside us practising their Hellos, and the willowy young girls carrying loads of sticks on their backs.
Below us, their mothers washed clothes in the stream meandering between smooth red rocks, while their fathers tended the garden or checked on the goats hobbled in the grass along the side of the road.
Janet spotted them first, a mound of bright yellow Ping-Pong balls on the ground beside a fruit and vegetable seller.
She negotiated in her best Swahili and we bought six for10 Kenyan shillings, or 13 cents.
For the next three days, her house smelled like a bouquet of exotic flowers as we blended the ripe fruit into thick smoothies and ate them like apples, swallowing the hard seeds.
Back home at my local Food Basics, I approached the clamshell of hard green Mexican guavas with trepidation: Could I replicate my Kenyan experience?
When the cashier spied my fruit, she began waxing poetic about the scent of guava trees in her homeland, the Philippines.
Randy Dietrich, of Broadview Produce, says Canadians of all nationalities are discovering the joy of fresh guavas, especially since he and other importers began packing them in plastic clamshells.
“It’s not a big item,” says Dietrich, “but sales are going up considerably and we love it — it’s extremely healthy (rich in vitamins C and A) and the fragrance can fill a room.”
I’ll second that! Blend it: For an exotic summer drink, cut off both ends of ripe or semi-ripe guavas, throw them in a blender with a little water and blend to a pudding-like purée.
Set a fine mesh sieve over a bowl, add purée and press down with a spatula to catch all the seeds. Yes, it’s a pain. Discard seeds. Add water and sugar (or honey) to desired thickness and sweetness, plus a squeeze of lime juice.
Turn it into a tropical smoothie by blending with strawberries, bananas, yogurt or whatever you have on hand. Back story: Guavas are native to Mexico, or perhaps Brazil. The tree belongs to the myrtle family, which makes it a close cousin of fragrant cloves, eucalyptus and bay leaves.
The 140 varieties come in all shapes and sizes — round, pear-shaped, small or softball-sized, with green or pale-yellow skin and white or salmon pink flesh, with a pearlike texture. It may taste like strawberries, pineapple or banana, all three or none of the above. Buy and Store:
Like pears, guavas are harvested when mature but not ripe.
They’re available year-round from Mexico but grow in many parts of the world.
Choose fruit without blemishes or soft spots.
Leave on the counter for a few days until the fruit yields to a gentle pressure.
As it ripens, the guava’s scent turns from musky (some say barnyardy) to intensely floral and the skin may turn yellow.
Use ripe guavas immediately or refrigerate in a plastic bag or container for a week or two. Prep: Wash and trim ends before using. Enjoy a fresh guava one of three ways: eat whole like an apple, peel before eating or scoop out the seeds and just eat the skin and peel.
Dietrich recommends tasting them hard, semi-hard and soft and seeing which you prefer. Serve:
Sliced guava adds a tropical punch to fruit salads.
Use puréed guava as a base for sorbet and ice cream, smoothies and puddings.
Guava jam and jelly are beloved around the world.
Poach guava, whole or halved, in honey and rum with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.
Grill guava slices and serve with grilled meat.
Simmer into a savoury sauce for chicken or pork.
Groovy Guava Spread
Star Tested Spread on toast, serve with a strong blue or cheddar cheese or make cocktails with this spread.
1 lb. (450 g) guavas, ends trimmed,
quartered
1/3 cup (85 mL) granulated sugar Place prepared guavas in large saucepan. Add just enough water to cover fruit. Bring to a boil on high heat; reduce heat to low. Cook until guavas are very tender, about 15 minutes.
Place in fine mesh sieve over bowl. Press down with spatula or back of spoon to catch as much flesh and juice as you can. Discard seeds and skins.
Return guava pulp to clean saucepan and stir in sugar.
Bring to boil over high heat and then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half. Remove from heat and let cool.
Pour into glass container. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks. It thickens as it cools.
Makes 1 cup (250 mL).
Banana Guava Daiquiri
Star Tested Welcome summer with this refreshing tropical cocktail. 1/4 cup (60 mL) Groovy Guava Spread (recipe above) 3 ripe bananas 1/3 cup (75 mL) fresh lime juice
(3 limes) 6 oz. (185 mL) white rum 1 cup (250 mL) crushed ice In blender, place guava paste, bananas, lime juice, rum and crushed ice. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.