Guava is a unique and exotic fruit. It makes me think of being on an island with an umbrella drink every time I see or eat one. That may even be why I like them because they make me think of an island breeze and sunshine.
I find it amazing that so many people have never tried guava or even know what it is. If you are interested in trying guava, read this article to find out how to clean guava. The next time you see guava in your grocery store, you will know just what to do with it, and you will be glad you finally tried it.
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What is Guava?
Guava is a tropical fruit that is entirely edible. You can even eat the guava seeds. They are not hard seeds like you might find in other fruit. The flesh of guava is typically dark red, pink, or white.
The skin is light green or yellow. Fresh guava has a lot of health benefits for your body. Guava can improve your immunity because it is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
Guava has almost four times as much Vitamin C as an orange. When you have a strong immune system, it helps keep you healthy and protects you from infection. Guava fruit is good for your heart.
They help improve balance in the body, including potassium and sodium, to regulate blood pressure. They are ideal for helping your muscles relax, improve energy, and reduce stress.
How to Pick a Guava
Softness
Before you can understand how to clean guava, you must first learn how to pick guava properly. The first thing you want to do is look for the softest guava that you can find. You will find the sweetest guava is soft.
When you have soft guava, it is also perishable. When you have selected the best guava, you only have about two days before it goes bad. The best way to tell if guava is ripe is to squeeze it gently, and it should give under fingers.
Blemishes
You want to check your guava for any blemishes. The best guava has no flaws. If there is a bruise or a mark, there is potential that the fruit will not taste as good or that the fruit is rotten.
Color
Ripe guava is easy to find based on its color. The color of ripe guava is a yellow-green to bright yellow color. If you see a slight bit of pink on the fruit, it is the ripest and when you want to eat it. If there are no yellow guavas available, you can buy them when they are green and wait for them to become ripe.
Smell
When guava is ripe, you can smell it without even putting your nose close to it. It should have a sweet smell and a little like musk. Guava should smell like it tastes.
Texture
Guava that is not ripe has a more rigid texture. Once guava is ripe, you can press it with your fingers. You can even break the skin when it is ripe. This is when they are ready to be eaten.
Size
You should expect ripe guava to be somewhere between three and six inches.
Season
Guava is a tropical fruit that can produce fruit all year long. It does not have a particular harvest season. All that matters is that the guava tree had the appropriate climate and temperature to grow.
How to Clean Guava
The entire guava is edible, which means you want to make sure you completely clean the whole guava. You want to wash off the whole guava. You want to wash it in cold water to stop any growth of bacteria or clean off pesticides. Then you want to dry off the washed guava with paper towels completely. This is especially important if you are planning to store your guava in the refrigerator.
How to Eat Guava
You can eat the guava whole, including the rind. You can also scoop out the insides of the guava and eat it. If you decide to eat the guava whole, you can eat the entire fruit, including the seeds. There is some guava that does not have seeds.
You can cut the guava in half using a serrated knife. A serrated knife is the best one you can use. You can cut it in half or into thin slices, whichever you prefer. Many people like to add some type of topping to their guava. These toppings may include salt, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce. You can put these toppings on your guava, or you can dip your guava in these sauces.
How to Store Guava
In the unlikely scenario that you do not eat all of your guavas, you should wrap it up in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. It would be best if you did not plan to store it any longer than four days in your refrigerator. If you know you are not going to eat it in four days, you should put it in the freezer. You can store sliced guava in the freezer for eight months.
Other Ways to Eat Guava
There are other ways to prepare guava if you are interested in different ways to eat it. You do not have to eat guava by itself. You can mix it with other ingredients. You can create a guava barbecue sauce that combines salty and sweet together for a delicious treat for your next cookout.
You can mix guava with other food to give them a nice tropical taste. You can create a guava pastry and use guava jelly in place of other jellies you might commonly use. You can make guava jello with real chunks of guava in it.
You might even want to try guava jam. Create a new flavor mimosa by mixing guava juice or guava purée with your sparkling wine or champagne instead of orange juice.
FAQs
Can You Remove the Seeds From Guava Fruit?
You can eat the seeds of guava fruit, but if that does not appeal to you, you can remove them. You can cut the guava into two halves and scoop out the seeds from each half. You can also cut the guava into four slices and remove the seeds from them.
Can Anyone Eat Guava?
In general, guava is healthy for just about everyone. It is full of antioxidants, but it also has sugar. If you eat too much of it, it has the potential to increase your blood sugar. That is the only problem you may have from eating guava unless you are allergic to it.
Are There Negatives to Eating Guava?
The extract from the guava leaf contains a chemical that some people may find irritating to their skin. It has been found to irritate people that have eczema. If you have eczema, you may want to avoid using guava leaf extract.
What is Guava Tea?
You can allow guava leaf to soak in boiling water, or warm water, to make tea. Guava tea may be able to help the symptoms of a cold, flu, or diarrhea.