Guava:

This delicious small fruit tastes like a mixture of bananas, strawberries and
pineapple and when ripe it feels like a pear! It is the oldest and the most
common introduced wild fruit in many parts of the Pacific, including some
atolls. Guava has a very distinctive aroma.
Guava is one of the most important members of the family Myrtaceae. It is
indigenous to the American tropics and was probably spread to the shores
of the Pacific Islands around the mid-1800s by migrating birds. The plants
can survive a wide range of soil types, including poor sandy soils. They are
very hardy and can tolerate a wide range of climates, including very low
temperatures . However they thrive better under warmer
conditions and require approximately four to six months of warm weather
for the fruits to develop and mature successfully.
Guavas were introduced into different islands and have spread in the wild
to the extent that they have become a pest in some of the dry parts of Fiji
and New Caledonia . Records show that they grow well on
fertile areas in Kiribati, and were being propagated for sale to the public in
the early 1980s.
There are two varieties in the Pacific, the true guava (Psidium guajava),
which is the common variety, and the Cattley or cherry/strawberry variety
(Psidium cattleianum). The fruit of the common
variety is larger than the cherry variety. It is oval and about 4–8cm
long. The main fruiting season is usually between February and April.

Selection
When the guava is mature, its colour turns light green or yellow. The pulpy
flesh may turn pink when ripe or may remain white in some varieties; there
are many tiny hard seeds. Ripe fruit becomes soft, bruises easily, and ferments
readily.
When selecting guava, choose ripe, firm fruit with pale greenish-yellow
colour and clean skin, with no blemish, and without signs of worm infestation.
Half-ripe fruits are the best choice. If the fruits have ripened on the
tree, they should be clean and free of fruit-fly infection. The smaller, wild
variety often has better colour and flavour. Fruits of hybrids are larger.
Fruits for jams and jellies should be under-ripe.
Storage
Store fruit spread out on racks in a cool place. For longer storage refrigerate
whole fruit at 8–10°C . Alternatively, it can be frozen
in the following forms:
• blanched (for 3 minutes) half-ripe fruit cut into sections, with pulp
removed and drained,
• cooked pulp, sieved to remove seeds,
• juice from fruit that has been boiled and strained.
Preparation
This depends on the use. For eating raw, wash well and trim rose-end. For
other uses, the fruit may be peeled or used with the skin, pulped and
strained to remove the seeds. Fruits can also be stewed whole. With seeds
removed, guava tends to become soft and break up easily when cooked. To
use in desserts, wash, peel (if preferred), cut into quarters, remove pulp or
inside and discard, and cut into suitable sizes.
For drinks and puree, wash fruits, cut up and pulverise, using a blender.
Guava can also be stewed with water, a little sugar and lemon juice until
soft before pureeing for use in desserts or for storage. To stew fruit, wash,
peel and cut fruit into appropriate bite sizes, add enough water to cover the
fruit, sugar to taste and lemon juice or a few cloves, and cook until fruit is
soft.

Food value
Guava is an excellent source of Vitamin C. It is also a good source of dietary
fibre, carotene and potassium. Guavas
appear to be a good potential source of C, A and B vitamins in atolls.
Use
The fruit, including the skin, is very crunchy when fresh and makes an
excellent snack. The milder, sweeter fruits are usually eaten fresh; the more
acid fruits are more suitable for jelly making since they have a higher pectin
content . Guavas can be processed into juice. They can also
be stewed, or pureed, or dried into a delicious snack. People with digestive
problems should not eat whole guavas.