September 20, 2012
This week I harvested 15 pounds of strawberry guavas from our tree which is now twelve feet tall. In past years, I’ve picked them one by one and sorted the drops. The guavas are smaller this year so I put down old sheets and shook the tree to harvest the ripe fruit. This was so much easier and safer than climbing a ladder.
Read a blog post from last year on my memories of strawberry guavas. My grandmother had a productive tree in her yard in Laguna Beach and my guava friend, Mrs. Blake gave me her family’s guava jam recipe.
Here are the washed and sorted guavas which I cooked covered without added water.
When the six pounds were cooked down and crushed a bit with a potato masher, I scooped the guavas into the Squeezo Strainer for processing.
The hard white seeds and inedible portions go out the left and the puree into the bowl. I don’t add any sugar to the puree.
The smell of the guavas cooking and the puree cooling is heavenly and tropical.
Four of the above containers went to my friend, Betsy who also loves guava puree. I stir it into plain Greek yogurt and add a smidgen of sugar. Last night it was swirled into rhubarb compote I prepared for dinner. When I have time, I’ll make jam from the puree.
I’m transitioning from plastic to more glass for freezing. Glass is so inert and my plastic containers have been around for many years. I ate the orphan guava shortly after this picture, though my favorite way is warm right from the tree.
Read more about strawberry guavas and how I use them on my post from September 30, 2011.
Join Robin, today at The Gardener of Eden for more Thursday’s Kitchen Cupboard posts.
