Guava Jelly The Caribbeans Best Recipes

GUAVA JELLY, THE CARIBBEAN'S BEST

Steps:

• With a veggie peeler, peel off the guava skins. Add to a blender or food processor. Blend until relatively smooth. Over medium-high heat, add the water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the sugar to the pan, stir until completely dissolved. Add the vinegar, juice of 3 limes and salt into the pan. Stir to combine. Use a mesh strainer to push the guava mixture through and into the saucepan. Discard the seeds. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool. Scoop into jars and refrigerate until use. The jelly further thickens with refrigerator cooling.

GUAVA AND CREAM CHEESE TWISTS

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed or a large bowl and wooden spoon, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy and smooth. With the machine running, add sugar and salt, and continue beating until a little fluffy. Add egg yolk and beat until incorporated. (Reserve egg white.) Add flour all at once and mix just until incorporated. Halve the dough, and place each half on plastic wrap. Using the plastic wrap, press each half into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• When ready to bake, cut guava paste into 50 1/4-inch-thick rectangles (2 inches long, ½-inch wide). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• On a generously floured surface, using a well-floured rolling pin, roll out 1 dough rectangle until roughly 15 1/2 inches long, 6 1/2 inches wide and 1/8-inch thick. Trim the edges, then cut into 24 (2 1/2-by-1 1/2-inch) rectangles. (You will have 48 rectangles from the initial rolling; the final two rectangles will come from rolled-out scraps.) Transfer to a prepared sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. If the dough has gotten too soft to handle, refrigerate until firmer but still very pliable.
• Place a guava paste rectangle in the center of each piece of dough on a diagonal. (It should not extend past the dough.) Take the dough corner opposite the top of a guava rectangle and wrap it over the guava paste so that the point meets the opposite edge; press the dough corner gently to secure. Take the corner diagonally opposite to the folded one and fold over the other end of the guava paste, pressing the corner gently against the other edge. Repeat with the remaining dough and guava paste. Chill and reroll dough scraps. If the assembled dough is soft, and you'd like to decorate the tops, chill or freeze again.
• For a sparkly, crunchy and sweet top, lightly brush the top of the dough with the reserved egg white and sprinkle with sparkling sugar. (These taste just as good without any topping.) Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden brown around the edges, 13 to 15 minutes. (The paste may ooze out.) Cool completely on the sheets on wire racks. The cookies are best the day they're made, but will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

GUAVA JELLY

Steps:

• Dice guavas into one inch cubes.
• Place in a large saucepan and cover with just enough water to cover the fruit well.
• Cover and cook till guavas are very tender, about half an hour.
• Cool.
• Cover a large bowl with a muslin cloth and invert fruit onto the cloth taking care to catch the liquid that drips through the muslin, into the bowl.
• Gather the four ends of the cloth and tie a knot and hang this'bag' for about four hours and collect all the drippings into the bowl.
• LIGHTLY squeeze out any juice left in the cloth.
• Discard pulp.
• Measure the liquid.
• For every cup of liquid add one cup of sugar and one tablespoon of lemon juice.
• (Eg. if there are four cups of liquid you would need to add four cups of sugar and four tablespoons of lime/lemon juice.) Put this mixture back on fire and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and cook, stirring constantly (as the liquid tends to boil over), till the liquid starts coating the spoon thickly and the juice/jelly drips from the spoon in jointed drops.
• Let stand for half an hour and pour into jars while still warm.
• Cover and seal.

GUAVA-GLAZED JERK PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Combine the ginger, scallions, garlic, salt and chiles (if using) in a food processor or blender and pulse until finely minced. Add the thyme, sugar, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne, cumin, coriander, lime juice and oil, then blend until the mixture becomes a fine paste.
• Using a clean towel or paper towels, pat the pork tenderloin dry. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a series of deep holes into the meat.
• Transfer the pork to a zip-top bag or container with a tight lid, and pour over the marinade. Let sit for at least 10 minutes on the countertop, or refrigerate overnight if possible. Bring to room temperature before continuing.
• When ready to cook, heat the oven to 400 degrees, adjusting your rack to the top third of the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then set a little water in a small pot and bring to a boil.
• Place the tenderloin in the center of the pan and put the pan on the center rack of the oven. Roast until the internal temperature is 145 degrees in the thickest part, flipping every 10 minutes, for about 25 minutes to evenly brown the outside.
• Mix the guava jelly and lemon juice with 1 tablespoon of the boiling water, and use a fork to break up then stir to form a glaze.
• Increase the oven heat to a high broil. Carefully pull the pan out of the oven, and brush the tenderloin with the glaze. Broil in the upper third of the oven 5 to 7 minutes, until it's a toasty dark brown with some charred spots, brushing once more with any remaining glaze if desired.
• Remove the pan from the oven and set the tenderloin on a carving board to rest for about 5 minutes. Cut into slices and pour over any juices that remain.

SURE.JELL GUAVA JELLY

Steps:

• Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.
• Cut guavas into thin slices; place in 4-qt. saucepan. Add water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 min. Thoroughly crush cooked guavas. Place three layers of damp cheesecloth or a jelly bag in large bowl. Pour prepared fruit into cheesecloth. Tie cheesecloth closed; hang and let drip into bowl until dripping stops. Press gently. Measure exactly 4-1/2 cups juice into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Add food coloring.
• Stir pectin into juice in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 5 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)