🍈 International · Preserves
Homemade Guava Jam
A fragrant, rosy guava preserve with fresh lemon and a smooth, seed-free finish.
Behind the plate
Ripe guava makes a beautifully aromatic jam, but its many hard seeds need one extra preparation step. Simmering the fruit first softens the flesh so the pulp can be pressed through a sieve before the sugar is added.
The result is a bright, full-flavoured preserve with enough acidity to balance the sweetness. This is presented as a refrigerator jam; hot-filling a jar by itself is not a complete shelf-stable canning process.
Why this recipe works
Cooking the fruit before straining releases the soft pulp without grinding the seeds. Sugar provides body and preservation, while lemon sharpens the guava and supports a cleaner set as the mixture reduces.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg ripe guava, washed and chopped
- 750 g granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup water
Method
- Wash the jars and lids thoroughly and keep the jars warm. Unless you are following a separately tested water-bath canning process, plan to refrigerate the finished jam.
- Place the chopped guava and water in a wide, heavy-based saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is completely soft.
- Mash the softened fruit, then press it through a sturdy fine sieve to remove the hard seeds. Measure all of the smooth pulp back into the clean pan.
- Add the sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring until every crystal has dissolved. Keep the base of the pan moving as the mixture thickens.
- Add the lemon juice and continue cooking for 30–35 minutes, or until a small spoonful placed on a cold plate wrinkles when pushed after a brief rest.
- Remove from the heat, skim any foam and carefully ladle into the warm jars. Wipe the rims, close with clean lids, cool, then refrigerate.
Chef’s notes
- Use deeply fragrant, fully ripe guava and remove bruised or spoiled sections before weighing.
- Do not blend the fruit before removing the seeds; broken guava seeds can make the jam gritty.
- A wide pan encourages even evaporation and gives better control than a narrow stockpot.
- Hot-filled jars are not automatically shelf-stable. Room-temperature storage requires a tested recipe, suitable canning jars and the complete recommended boiling-water process for your altitude.
- For this refrigerator version, keep chilled and use within 3 weeks. Discard if you notice mould, fermentation, leakage or an unusual odour.
At the table
Spread on warm toast, spoon over plain yoghurt, or use between sponge-cake layers with softly whipped cream.