The Tropical Fruit Forum

I peel them and eat them raw.  They're similar to yacon.  You can make a low sugar syrup, too

Extract the juice and reduce over low heat. Haven't made it yet, definitely curious. Looking to start this crop, any leads appreciated. I'm looking for Smallanthus sonchifolius?

Recent weather a concern? Has the plant been left to dry in container too long?

Looks like you have a few more guava cultivars to try before you make that decision about what fruit you like more. Guavas vary drastically and don’t come true from seed. There’s a lot to explore and taste in the Psidium world of this popular Myrtle.

This is a great era for new mango varieties.

We will be seeing a lot more unique cultivars popping up.

Sometimes it's difficult to focus on less seeds, because various seedier varieties can oftentimes taste excellent and better to some people depending on their taste preference. There's also a lot of non air layered seeds that have varying levels of acid. Those are better suited for preserving. Flavor can be compromised if one looks solely for the least seediest guava cultivar. A dessert guava is usually thick shelled and the inner seedy pulp can be cooked into a sauce or jelly. Guava is quite utilitarian and can serve various other purposes for the crafty culinarian.

Guavas have pectin. By cooking them and passing through a strainer you can make guava jam. If you pass through a straining cloth you can make  guava jelly. You can get instructions on You Tube  or you contact me.
 In Brazil  in many restaurants they serve Romeu & Juliet for dessert ( A slice of guava jam  on side with a slice of cheddar or Edam cheese)  or Guava Ice Cream.

Romeo & Juliet is a testament that the marriage between guava & cheese is worth noting. A variety of cheeses can be enjoyed, not just cream cheese. Edam and cheddar along with Manchego, Gruyère and many more. What's your favorite? In Cuba "Pan con Timba" is the equivalent to Brazil's "Romeo & Julieta". A slice of guava paste on a piece of Cuban bread, cheese of your preference if desired. Also known as "Timba" when served humbly on a cracker. Guava shells with cheese is invariably the most well known classic Floridian guava dessert, canned guava shells, which can be spiced to your liking with the Myrtaceae relative, clove Syzygium aromaticum, cinnamon and allspice berries etc. It was much enjoyed by Florida Crackers and was supported by early Bahamian settlers and many more Caribbean / Latin American residents.

It is important to note that the pectin content exists in the skin, so the marmalade made using the other skin is also highly praised & the finest product made from guavas aside from the extraction of pure guava juice. Nectar is not finer product than pure juice, since it can be doctored with sugar per governmental regulations. The jelly which is generally pink is also considered one of the finest jellies in the world. A finer jam can be made by omitting the skins making the preserve much smoother and less gritty than the marmalade.

A dense paste is made using pectin and higher levels of sugar. Guava crystalizes as it ages, particularly the thick paste, what I believe is called "guava cheese". Seed removal should be done either before or after blanching. Sorbet, ice cream, preserves, syrup and even the seeds can be used for medicinal purposes.

I also like to serve the guava cut into wedges and encourage people to try eating the fruit whole, skin and seeds. The skin is very nutritive and contains high levels of lycopene, more than the fruits of the tomato plant.

I’ve located a few trees here in Miami. Need to determine more info about it. Cuban No. 1 seems neglected. Popular in the 70s. Thanks for the info.

Anyone heard of the Cuban No. 1? Not a heavy bearer but superior taste. I'm interested in locating, it seems a bit unknown.

How difficult is it to air layer a guava??

You should have a high success rate.

Personally growing 20+ cultivars at the grove, and they all vary drastically. Some are highly acid and others are not, some have thicker skins and slight color differences. They come in all shapes. Taxonomy is very tough on guavas.

‘Bogor’ Indonesian is claimed to be highly fruit fly resistant by some experts.

There’s a few white common guavas that are excellent, not the Thai white.

Commercially known as cv. ‘Homestead’ which is a hand polinated cross by George Ruehle of ‘Ruby’ x ‘Supreme’ is another common one.

There’s a lot of variants that are ok, mainly from seedlings, and most importantly taxonomy on guava is quite tough. You may not know what you have or are being sold. So, the best way to get something good is via vegetative propagation of a tree you know is great, for your preference of taste.

I think mixing various cultivars for jams, smoothies, cooking purposes etc. produces a much more rounded out guava flavor that is delicious and highly nutritious, much more than other fruits. Potassium, Lycopene in the skin, more Vitamin C than oranges. By mixing cultivars you create a flavor you can’t acheive with 1 tree. Consider it like blending various mango cultivars for culinary purposes.

Just to clarify and no hard feelings, both Feijoa / Pineapple guava Acca sellowiana & Cattley / Strawberry guava Psidium cattleyanum are indeed in the same plant family, Myrtaceae. They're in different genera. Something to note, for their relation and understanding of culture for individual species.

If they are only a couple of years old, that is probably not old enough for them to be producing.  Give them time. Pineapple guava (Feijoa) is not in the same family as strawberry guava.  They are not actually guavas at all, so you shouldn't compare them to productivity of the strawberry guavas.

Cardamondins  grow very well on their own roots.

I have to agree. I recall hearing the most suitable & resistent Citrus rootstock(s) are Rangpur Citrus x limonia followed by Seville C. x aurantium, but this can vary between what cultivars are available to you, and what the end goal is. Is it safe to say Rangpur and Calamondin are both true to seed?