Fresh Guavas - what to do with them?

[Kouign Aman]

I have a small tree full of large fruit that are probably guavas

(this from another thread:

Are these quinces ?

If so, should I harvest them green or wait til they go yellow, like the largest one?

←

They kinda look more like a guava (see bottom of page) or this picture.

←

)

I've never seen these like this in the shops; only feijoa or "pineapple guava".

I like guava paste and cream cheese, but its so easy to buy the paste ready made. What is a good thing to do with the fresh fruit?

And what is the proper stage at which to pick?

[Raoul Duke]

IWhen on Guam we used to slice them in quarters, lengthwise, and squeeze them into a large glass of vodka and ice. It's not just about eating!

[v. gautam]

You can encourage your palate to enjoy them at all stages: from hard, green & astringent, then slightly more mature and tending toward ripeness to the dead ripe. Each stage has its own distinct aroma and mouthfeel that is treasured by the lovers of this fruit. Many Asian markets sell fruit at these various stages for more than $6/lb, so beloved are they!!!

Eaten raw in the earlier stages, they are very healthy, and give your gums & teeth a cleaning similar to a dentist's!! Depending on the variety, the aroma & sweetness or even tartness can be extremely beguiling even in these early stages, and when the very hard green gradually begins to grow riper. We see these stages in your photograph. Full ripening should be effected indoors.

The hard green and mellow green stages are sliced unpeeled and eaten raw without any additions, with salt + kochu karu [korean red pepper powder] or with Indian chaat masala or with black salt. This is a very nutritious fruit.

Ripe fruit is used in India in mixed fruit chaat, i.e. chopped in cubes [skin on] with other fruit, say apples, bananas, papayas, asian pears, sprouted white chickpeas, mung beans, [radicle out only] etc. and tossed with chaat masala, and even some mint powder etc. for a sweet-sour fruit salad. The South-east Asian rujak embodying simialar ideas is derived from the Sanskrit ROCHAKA [<ruc], pleasing or tasty, referring to the satisfying nature of fruit chaat.

Ripe guava [scoop out the seeds, save for jelly] can be sliced and used in a pan cooked dish with pork or chicken, finished with in a cream sauce. Some varieties have a pink or red center when ripe and are especially prized.

The skin and seedy middle is simmered in water and strained through cloth. Sugar is added in proportion for jelly and a wonderful garnet colored confection results, far superior to the commercial product. You make very fine crepes, smear a small, elegant portion of jelly, squeeze a few drops of lime juice, roll up. Sprinkle powdered sugar. Serve warm. The jelly is great with toast & butter as well.