Last year I made guava jelly with my harvest of cherry guavas. This year I thought I’d try something different: making Cherry Guava Cordial.
You use the same basic preparation method as for making jelly but you don’t boil it for as long. It doesn’t matter how many guavas you start with because you simply adjust the amount of sugar you use to match the amount of juice you get from your guavas. I started with a good colander-full of fruit.
Place fruit in a preserving pan and barely cover with water; simmer until the fruit is very soft and all juice has been extracted. Strain through a jelly bag and allow juice to drain – do not squeeze the bag. Allow 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of juice. Put juice and sugar in a pan and bring to the boil.
For 1.5 litres of liquid, I added 1 tsp citric acid (a natural preservative that also enhances flavour) and 1 tsp tartaric acid (used to give a sour taste and is also an antioxidant). If you are intending to use the cordial within a few days you can omit these but make sure you store it in the fridge.
Pour into hot sterilised bottles and seal.
Serve diluted: 1/3 cordial to 2/3 water or soda water (or to taste). Goes well with tonic water and vodka as an aperitif.
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- Start with a reasonable amount of cherry guavas
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- Just cover with water in a pan and simmer until the fruit is soft
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- Drain fruit using a jelly bag – don’t squeeze
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- Bring liquid to boil with equal quantity of sugar, then bottle.
Great to find someone else in Auckland trying to use their guavas! have you tried Queen palm berries? Biol for an hour. Can be used to make jelly. haven;t tried cordial! This is one of the few palms whose berries are not poisonous.
regards
Annabelle
I haven’t tried those (and hadn’t even thought that might be an option. Let me know if it works.
How long does cordial keep on the shelf without canning
As long as you put it into hot sterilised jars and make sure they are sealed, mine have lasted for a year or more. Once opened, store in the fridge.
I have just picked a bowl of cherry guava ,have made jelly in the past so plan to try the paste ,I have made quince paste earlier this year, How long should it keep , we ate ours fairly quickly, and enjoyed it.
If you keep it in a dry airtight container it should last a long time. I gave mine away as Christmas presents so many months later. I still have some now and it is fine.