Guava Paste!
Add this sweet Cuban staple to your summer bakes
An exotic fruit quest…
Before I’d tried a fresh guava for the first time, it was more of an abstract idea, like blue raspberry or grape flavour, rather than an actual fruit. I’d lived off Rubicon guava juice my whole life (the same as any Asian kid really). My mum always recalls her childhood in Bangladesh, where guavas and mangoes grew plentifully for anyone to pick and eat, and honestly, I’ve always been jealous of that! So in 2023, I mentally set a challenge to go on an ‘exotic fruit quest’, which really just meant picking up a new fruit whenever I spotted one at the supermarket. Anything to make life feel a bit more novel. Eventually, I got my hands on Egyptian and Thai guavas, and when I took my first bite…I’ll be honest, I was underwhelmed. It was kind of grainy and bland. It didn’t quite live up to the hype I’d built in my head. Surely there was a way to make this taste better…
A trip to little Havana…
I’m not sure where I first heard of Cuban pastelitos- golden pastries filled with guava jam and cream cheese, but something about them hooked me instantly. Every recipe I found online used store-bought guava paste, a concentrated block of fruit purée that, unsurprisingly, isn’t sold anywhere in the UK. So I had to make my own and it took a few tries to get right.
The effort paid off though- I ended up using that homemade guava paste in my first bake off audition in a Danish pastry inspired by the classic pastelitos. I even added a bit of thyme and lime juice for a twist (maybe that recipe is for another day). When I visited Little Havana, Miami in June and finally tried the real thing, I was ecstatic to discover I’d nailed it. My brother even said mine were better!
The breakdown:
It’s super simple to make, but the ingredients are a little unconventional- I found them all in the Asian grocer.
Guavas- Try to avoid the large Thai guavas and go for smaller ones
Jam sugar- This is regular sugar that already has pectin added! It is a life saver when making compotes or jams. I first used it because of bake off and do not know how i lived without it for so long! This pectin enables the jam to set into a paste.
Guava juice- This is just to help soften the guavas, and any opportunity to add more guava flavour is welcome, but feel free to use water instead.
Kafir lime leaves- Not traditional, but add a zesty aroma that compliments the sweetness of the guava, I found it in the spice aisle.
Red food colour- Typically the jam sold is a beautiful deep rich pink, this is the best way to achieve that
So what can I use it for?
The possibilities are endless but here are some ideas!
Treat it like any other jam- in between cakes, swirled in cream or spread on toast
melt down, pipe into little discs, freeze, and use as a Danish pastry filling (as seen above!)
Eat with a spoon
RECIPE
4 ripe guavas (I use Egyptian guavas)
Equal weight in jam sugar
250ml guava juice OR water
Pinch of salt
Handful dried kafir lime leaves (optional)
Drop of gel red food dye (optional)
1) chop the guavas into rough chunks, add to a large saucepan with the guava juice. Bring to a boil for about 10 minutes, until the guava flesh has softened.
2) Using a potato masher or food processor, mash the guava mix into a paste, and pass through a sieve to remove seeds.
3) Return the guava paste to the saucepan, add the jam sugar, lime leaves, salt and food colour. Bring to a boil for 10-15 minutes until thickened and reduced into a syrupy consistency.
4) transfer to a sterilised glass jar, it will thicken as it cools.
5)Enjoy! Use as a puff pastry filling, spread it on toast or just eat it with a spoon!