Name: How to make Trini Guava Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 40
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 1 kg Guavas Ripe; 500g Brown Sugar; 1 teaspoon Unsalted Butter; Optional - Red Liquid Food Coloring

Aerial view of Sliced Guava Cheese with guava on side

Trini Guava Cheese is another multicultural dish that can be traced to Portuguese colonialists. These sweet, chewy nuggets of guava came from an over-abundance of guava fruits in season and cane sugar. Calling it cheese describes the thick solid blocks that are sliced like a soft cheese for sandwiches, pastries or crackers. This recipe is a perfect addition to any afternoon tea when Guavas are in season.

Author: Rachael Ottier Hart

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Serves

Ingredients

1 kg Guavas Ripe
500g Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Unsalted Butter
Optional - Red Liquid Food Coloring

Instructions

Using the butter, grease a baking dish or pan of approximate volume depending on the size and shape you desire and set aside.

Wash the guavas, remove the top and bottom bits (stem and flower) and discard.

Cut the guavas into quarters and place into a stockpot. Fill with water just below the level of the top of the guavas.

Bring the pot to a boil on high heat for 5-10 minutes.

Using a fork, test the firmness of the guava if they are still firm and allow to boil for another 5-10 minutes.

Once the guavas are soft, remove from the heat and use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to squash the fruit into a pulpy texture.

Remove the pulp from the pot and strain to remove and discard the seeds.

For a smoother guava cheese, place the strained seedless pulp into a blender and purée until smooth with no lumps.

Place this pulp into a deep saucepan on medium heat and add the sugar stirring to dissolve and thoroughly combine.

At this time, you can add a drop of red food coloring to amplify the color of the final guava cheese.

Continue to stir and cook the new sugary pulp mixture for around 30 minutes or until it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and the texture is firming up.

To test the readiness of the mixture, remove a small dollop about 1/2 of a teaspoon size and drop it into a bowl of cold water. After about a minute, test the texture of the dollop. If it is firm and not sticking to your fingers, the mixture is ready.

When the mixture is ready, remove it from the heat and pour it into your greased dish or pan and use your spatula to press and smooth the guava mixture evenly into place. Try to move quickly and if the spatula is getting sticky, wipe and grease with some butter.

Holding the dish or pan, gently tap the bottom of the counter remove all air bubbles.

Allow the mixture to rest until cool to the touch before cutting into your desired shapes.

Serve on its own or with toast, crackers or as a filling for pastries.

Secure in an airtight container and store in a cool place.