Refreshing Guava Drink

 All around Mexico, at almost any restaurant you can order agua fresca, which literally translates to "fresh water". However, this "fresh water" actually contains fresh fruit. And one of my favorite agua fresca variations is made with guava. I just love guavas (guayabas in Spanish). The smell of guava is so fresh and invigorating, that they wake you right up.

Here in Mexico, you can buy guavas at almost any corner store, super market, or municipal market. Not to mention that they are also very economical, two pounds sets you back about $1.25 USD. In the U.S., when in season, they are a little pricier, but they are worth it! Fresh, uncooked guavas are  loaded with Vitamin C. They also contain Vitamin A, Folate, Potassium, Copper and Manganese and are a very good source of Dietary Fiber and Enzymes.¹

This recipe makes a gallon, which is officially about 16 servings, but I find it difficult to drink just 8 ounces. Of course we have to add sugar. At many economical kitchens, cocinas económicas, a type of low-price restaurant found all around Mexico, they serve up delicious drink. But unfortunately, you tend to get more sugar than fruit. Fortunately, you can control how much sugar you add. For those of you concerned with sugar, I did some digging around and found that 1 gallon of orange juice has almost two cups of sugar in it.² That made me feel so much better about my recipe.




Part of the success of this recipe is picking ripe guavas. They should be slightly soft. If they are hard, they still aren't ripe. Even slightly mushy guavas will work, as long as they aren't brown.

Agua de Guayaba

• 1 pound guavas, washed the little dark brown patch at one end sliced off & quartered.
• 3/4 cup sugar (preferably unbleached) or substitute with another sweetener like stevia, brown rice syrup, honey (though you'll taste it). Use less or more sugar if you'd like. To me, this amount makes it taste just right.
• Water - you'll need a little less than a gallon
• 1 gallon pitcher (I have one of those huge Sterilite pitchers)
• 1 medium strainer  

- Place fruit in the blender and cover with water. I manage to fit everything in there, but you could do
it in two batches. Blend on high for as little as possible. Since I don't remove the seeds, I've found that if you blend for too long the seeds with eventually start disintegrating and you'll end up with a gritty drink. So only blend until just smooth. If you have one of those (awesome) high power blenders, you may need to remove the seeds first or blend even less. Don't say I didn't warn you!

- Once blended, place your strainer over your larger pitcher and pour the fruit smoothy through it. The strainer will probably get a little clogged. A secret to get the fruit through, without using additional utensils, is to firmly pat the edge of the strainer with the bottom part of the palm of your hand a few times and the liquid will go right through, leaving you with just the seeds. Now go back to your blender, and add a cup of water and swish around. This gets any left over fruit and seeds. Pour through your strainer. If you still have fruit chunks in the strainer, take them out and put them in your blender. Throw the seeds away.

- Go back to your blender, fill with water about half way and add the sugar. Blend for a minute, or until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into the pitcher. Again, add a little more water to the blender, swish and to the pitcher. (This makes sure that you don't have anything left in the blender plus it makes clean up a lot easier).

- Fill your pitcher the rest of the way with water. Stir. Serve. Drink. Enjoy.

In our household, this drink usually lasts us up to two days because we finish it. But in the fridge, this agua should last about 4 days. As long as the taste is good, it hasn't spoiled. If there is only one of you, make half.

Variations:
- Guavas have the distinct feature that you can make an ice-less smoothy. Huh? A smoothy with no ice you say? Yes! Just blend using about half the water this recipe calls for (and less sugar).  It's very filling and not to mention delicious.

- Using this recipe as a base, you can make any agua fresca with fruit like strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon (add less sugar), lime and cucumber (yes cucumber), guanabana, mango...

In the U.S? Go to any latino-market. Head on into the fruit section and explore. If you don't know what something is, just ask someone.

1. Nutritional data about guavas here.
2. Sugar in drinks fact here.