Guava nectar, preserved (guava juice, raw?, organic?)

Guava nectar (preserved) is usually made from the real guava ( Psidium guajava). Not raw for preservation purposes. Occasionally available in organic quality.

Use in the kitchen

The guava is a berry fruit with a sweet and sour taste. The exotic aroma is difficult to describe. It could be a mixture of pear, gooseberry and peach. Preserved guava nectar, which can be bought commercially, is usually made from guava pulp, water and sugar. It often also contains added citric acid and ascorbic acid as antioxidants. Guava juice can also be found in many mixed fruit juices.

In Brazil, goiabada, a dried fruit paste thickened with sugar, is very popular. It is traditionally shaped into cubes. The boiled and dried puree can often be bought in small wooden boxes. Brazilians like to eat the paste with cheese. In Florida and the Caribbean, “guava paste” is also made. ³

Making your own guava nectar (guava juice)

Guava nectar is easy to make from ripe, fresh organic guavas. To do this, wash the guava with water and remove the peel with a knife or vegetable peeler. Cut the flesh into large pieces. Puree the chopped guava together with water in a blender until the flesh has mixed with the water. Do not mix the puree for too long so that the seeds remain whole. For 170 g of guava, you need about 120 ml of water. Dilute the puree with water to the desired amount and sweeten with a little agave syrup if necessary. For a refreshing taste, you can also add a few splashes of lime juice or lemon juice.

To make a thin juice, you can remove the seeds with a fine sieve. To do this, place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and strain the thick juice through the sieve with a spoon. However, since the seeds contain valuable nutrients, we advise against removing them.

Alternatively, you can wash the guava thoroughly and puree it with the peel. In this case, however, it is advisable to press the juice through a sieve to remove the solid parts (see recipe below).

The puree from the pulp can be frozen. This way you can make fresh fruit juice again and again by mixing small portions of pulp with water.

Vegan recipe for guava juice with watermelon

Ingredients (for 4 people): 4 ripe guavas, 1 l drinking water, 400 g watermelon, 1-2 tsp agave syrup.

Preparation: Wash the guavas thoroughly with water. Cut the guavas into small pieces. Put the guava pieces and water in a blender and puree the mixture until it is smooth. Pass the puree through a sieve to remove the solid parts. Peel the watermelon and remove the seeds. Blend the pulp together with the guava puree again. Dilute the fruit juice with water if necessary and sweeten with agave syrup if necessary.

Vegan recipes with guava nectar (guava juice) can be found under the note: " Recipes that have the most of this ingredient ".

Purchasing - Storage

Guava nectar can be found in large retailers such as Migros, Spar, Rewe, Edeka, Billa and Coop (mixed drink). Discounters such as Denner, Volg, Aldi, Lidl and Hofer do not have it in their standard range (as of 2024). Organic supermarkets such as Denn's Biomarkt and Alnatura and health food stores occasionally have guava juice on offer. Guava juice can also be purchased in delicatessens, Asian shops and online shops.

The fruit juices and guava drinks available in stores often contain added sugar and citric acid (E330). Organic guava nectar is rarely available.

The availability of guava nectar (guava juice) varies depending on the size of the store, catchment area, etc. Our recorded food prices for the DA-CH countries can be found above under the ingredient image - and by clicking on them you can see their development at various suppliers.

Storage tips

Preserved guava nectar can be kept for several months when closed (see best before date on the label). Once opened, guava juice should be stored in the refrigerator like other fruit and vegetable juices and consumed within a few days.

Ingredients - Nutritional values - Calories

100 g of guava nectar (preserved) has an energy content of 63 kcal. The calories come mainly from carbohydrates (16 g/100 g). The nectar contains little fat and protein. The fiber content is low (1.0 g/100g). Guava juice contains 13 g of sugar, which is significantly more than fresh guava (8.9 g/100g). ¹

Real guava is known for its high vitamin C content. 100 g of guava nectar contains 21 mg of vitamin C, significantly less than fresh guava (228 mg/100g). Orange juice (50 mg/100g) and lemon juice (39 mg/100g) have higher vitamin C contents than guava nectar. Sea buckthorn berries (450 mg/100g) and acerola berries (1700 mg/100g) contain particularly high levels of vitamin C. ^1,5 However, people eat smaller portions of these, which is why the amount actually absorbed is lower.

Guava nectar also contains small amounts of iron, manganese, folate (folic acid) and potassium. ¹

The complete ingredients of guava nectar (guava juice), the coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in our nutrient tables. In the article Nutrients explained you will get a detailed insight into the topic.

Health Benefits

Guava is an excellent source of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which is an important antioxidant. ^1,7 Guava nectar also contains vitamin C, but in smaller amounts than fresh guavas. Antioxidants are molecules that slow down the oxidation process. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals that damage cells by triggering various chain reactions. Free radicals that damage cells cause cancer and many other diseases. Antioxidants bind the free radicals and thus stop the chain reactions. Antioxidants reduce the risk of degenerative diseases such as brain dysfunction, inflammation, heart disease, cancer, arteriosclerosis and arthritis. ⁷

In addition to vitamins, minerals and trace elements, guavas also contain secondary plant substances that can make an important contribution to health. The article on secondary plant substances provides an overview of the classification of substance groups, their occurrence in foods and possible effects on humans. Guavas contain several secondary plant substances, including phenols, flavonoids, triterpenic acid, steroids, glycosides, tannins, quercetin, carotenoids and saponins. ⁷

Dangers - Intolerances - Side effects

Guava contains benzophenone and flavonoids, which inhibit the release of histamine and thus have an anti-allergic effect. ⁷ Allergic reactions to guava and guava nectar are rare, but can still occur. ⁶

Guava nectar contains large amounts of fructose. ⁷ People with fructose intolerance must limit or completely avoid guava consumption. Healthy people should only consume commercially produced guava nectar occasionally, as it can contain a lot of sugar and preservatives.

Ecological footprint - animal welfare

There is currently little or no data available on the ecological footprint of guava nectar (guava juice). This depends, among other things, on the cultivation of the real guavas, their further processing into nectar, packaging and transport. The ecological footprint increases through the further processing of the fruit into juice. For comparison: According to a German study from 2020, the CO ₂ footprint of orange juice in a 1.0 L composite carton is 0.7 kg CO ₂ eq/kg. "The Big Climate Database" puts the CO ₂ footprint of orange juice in plastic bottles at 1.41 kg CO ₂ eq/kg. In comparison: According to the German study , raw oranges produce 0.3 kg CO ₂ eq/kg, according to "The Big Climate Database" 0.81 kg CO ₂ eq/kg. ^8.9

According to Carbon Cloud, the ecological footprint of guavas from/in Mexico is 0.32 kg CO ₂ eq/kg, but can rise to 1.55 kg CO ₂ eq/kg abroad (Sweden). ¹² No data is available for guava nectar.

Fruit juice is mainly found in cardboard packaging, but also in plastic and glass bottles. The environmental impact of packaging depends on the collection systems (e.g. collection of PET, beverage cartons, glass) in the respective countries, the efficiency of the recycling processes and the amount of recycled material that is reused. Frequently used reusable bottles are the most environmentally friendly option. After reusable systems, composite cartons cause the least environmental impact. Disposable glass bottles have the highest environmental impact. ⁴

Worldwide occurrence - cultivation

Guava nectar is mainly made from the real guava. Regionally, fruit juices from the Brazilian guava (feijoa, pineapple guava) or the strawberry guava (red guava) may also be available.

Guavas are now grown in tropical countries all over the world. Guavas are fairly undemanding in terms of soil and climate, the only thing they cannot tolerate is frost. The trees are rarely affected by diseases, but fruit flies love the fruit. However, fungal diseases can cause great damage to the plantations when the fruit is unripe. ²

The young Guayaba trees grow relatively quickly. They produce their first crop after just two years. From the seventh year onwards, the trees produce full crops and usually maintain this for 30 years. ²

For information on cultivation and harvesting, see the ingredient Guava.

Industrial production

First, the guavas are checked and any damaged or unripe fruits are sorted out. They are then rinsed under hot water (80–85 °C) for around 30 seconds to remove dirt and leaves and to reduce the microbial load.

The fruit is then chopped and the juice is extracted by pressing. The seeds are sieved out of the fruit juice. Part of the pulp that was left over from pressing is sometimes added back to the juice. It is diluted with water and sometimes a sugar solution with citric acid is added to optimise the taste. Pasteurising the juice at 105 °C gives the guava nectar a longer shelf life. Once the nectar has cooled, it is packaged. ¹⁰

An alternative method of production involves crushing the guavas and sieving the seeds and peels out of the fruit puree. This fruit puree is then diluted with water and sugar, citric acid and stabilizers are added. The addition of a stabilizer such as carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) prevents premature sedimentation of the suspended solids from the fruit pulp during storage. ¹¹

In addition to guava nectar with pulp, there is also clarified guava juice. The solids are removed from the juice by sedimentation, centrifugation and filtration, as well as by biochemical methods (enzymatic hydrolysis) or by chemical fining. ¹¹

Further information

The guava is a myrtle plant ( Myrtaceae) of the genus Guava ( Psidium), which includes the real guava and the strawberry guava. Despite its similarity, the Brazilian guava (feijoa, pineapple guava) does not belong to the genus Guava, but to the genus Acca. However, it is also a plant from the myrtle family.

Alternative names

Guava is called guava or guave in English. In Spanish it is called guayabo and goiaba. Goaibeira is the Portuguese name. Pichi, Posh and Enandi are the common names in Mexico and America.

The nectar is called guava juice or guava nectar.