Guavas: Enticingly Exotic, Surprisingly in Season!

Eating seasonally calls for a bit more imagination during the wintertime. Here’s a fun way to jazz up a dreary day with homemade guava juice!

Guavas grown in Florida and California are available into early/mid winter, so keep your eyes peeled for these little gems. If they’re ripe, you’re likely to catch a whiff of their heavenly scent before spotting them. Look for yellow-skinned guavas (as opposed to under-ripe green ones) that are very aromatic and give to gentle pressure. Depending on the variety, the flesh inside will be pale yellow or bright pink!

Guavas are a fantastic source of Vitamin C; one medium guava (3.5 oz) contains 3 times the recommended daily amount of Vitamin C! Guavas also contain a great deal of soluble fiber, which can help maintain low cholesterol.

Homemade Guava Juice

-2 medium or abut 5 small guavas, for a total weight of 6-8 oz, very ripe, yellow and aromatic

-Juice of 1/2 a lemon

-2-3 Tbl of sugar or agave syrup

Trim the ends off the guavas and cut them roughly into pieces. Put the guavas, sugar and lemon juice into a blender or food processor with 1 cup of water. This includes the seeds. Pulse the mixture to achieve very small pieces of guava but be sure NOT to blend it smooth because then it will be extremely viscous or gummy. Aim for peices the size of green peas NOT pulp.

Let mixture rest for 10 minutes to infuse.

Strain to remove guava seeds and pulp. Dilute the mixture to your taste, by adding 2-3 more cups of water. Mix well, chill in the fridge and enjoy!