Smooth Guava Paste (Printable Version)

A smooth, sweet condiment crafted from fresh guavas, ideal for cheese plates, desserts, and traditional Latin American pastries.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 2.2 lbs ripe guavas, washed, trimmed, and quartered

→ Sweetener

02 - 2.25 cups granulated sugar

→ Acid

03 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

→ Liquid

04 - 0.5 cup water

# Steps:

01 - Wash the guavas and trim the ends. Cut them into quarters and remove seeds if desired for a smoother final paste.
02 - Place guava quarters and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, and simmer for 15–20 minutes until guavas are soft.
03 - Remove from heat and use a food mill or fine mesh strainer to puree the guava pulp, discarding seeds and skins.
04 - Measure the resulting guava puree. For every cup of puree, use approximately 1 cup of sugar, adjusting as needed based on yield.
05 - Return the guava puree to the pot. Add sugar and lemon juice, stirring to combine.
06 - Cook over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent sticking, for 40–50 minutes until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
07 - When the paste is thick, glossy, and holds its shape on a spoon, pour into a parchment-lined loaf pan. Smooth the top and cool at room temperature for 2–3 hours until firm.
08 - Unmold the cooled paste and slice as desired for serving or storage.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • It's a magical ingredient that transforms cheese boards into something elegant with almost no effort once you understand the technique.
  • The whole house smells incredible while it cooks, and you end up with something that lasts for months in the fridge.
  • It's naturally vegan and gluten-free, so you can confidently share it with anyone at your table.
02 -
  • The paste will seem too soft while hot—this is normal and actually means you're on track, but patience is everything because it firms up dramatically as it cools completely.
  • If your final paste is still too soft after three hours, it needed either more cooking time or you used guavas that were too watery; next time, cook a bit longer to reach that glossy, pulling-away stage.
03 -
  • Keep a candy thermometer handy if you want precision—you're looking for around 220°F (104°C) for that perfect firm-but-not-hard consistency.
  • If your paste breaks or looks grainy at any point, you can gently reheat it and add a splash of water to smooth it back out, then re-cook until it reaches the right texture again.
Go Back