Cuban Style Guava Jam Food

GUAVA JAM RECIPE

Steps:

• Place guavas in a medium-size saucepan and cover with the water. Turn heat to medium heat and cook for 15 minutes. The guavas will look soft.
• Remove the seeds using a spoon to scoop them out.
• Place guavas, sugar, and 1 cup of the cooking water in your blender. Process until it looks like a fine pure. Remove the rest of the liquid from the saucepan, this liquid can be used to make tea if you want.
• Return the guava mix to the saucepan and cook again in low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. The jam will be ready when you can see the bottom of the saucepan while stirring the jam.
• Pour the hot jam immediately into clean jars, close the lids tightly and place on your kitchen counter covered with a kitchen napkin or towel.
• After a couple of hours, you will hear a pop sound, which is the sound of the lids indicating that the jars are sealed. Wait until they are completely cool and store in your pantry for up to a year. Once you open a jar of your sweet and delicious jam, store in the fridge.

CUBAN STYLE GUAVA JAM

Steps:

• 1. Wash and remove stems off the guavas.
• 2. Scoop out the centers of the guavas and put in a separate container.
• 3. Cut the guava pulp with skin into quarters and place in a blender to puree. At this point add enough water to help the mixture liquefy.
• 4. Strain the puree really well and discard the skin and pulp left behind.
• 5. At this point you can get the seeds and strain those as well, this part will require a spatula or the back of a spoon to help you get the puree through the strainer.
• 6. Combine both strained puree's with the sugar into a pot. Cook on high until it comes to a boil, stirring constantly as to avoid sticking or burning.
• 7. Add the pinch of salt and Lower to medium heat. Continue to cook and stir occasionally for about 30 minutes.

GUAVA JAM

Steps:

• Cut each guava into 8 pieces. Place in a pot and fill with water until guavas are just covered; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until fruit is very soft, about 1 hour. Remove from the heal and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Strain contents of the pot through a fine mesh sieve into a 1-quart liquid measure, using a spatula to push fruit through the sieve so only seeds and skins remain. Take note, you should get about 4 cups fruit. Clean the pot and pour the fruit back in.
• For every cup of fruit, add 1 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Stirring constantly, bring to a simmer and continue to cook until sugar is dissolved and jam has thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. If the jam thickens on its own and drips very slowly off a spoon, do not add pectin. However, if it does not thicken up enough, add liquid pectin and simmer for 1 minute longer. Pull off the heat.
• While jam is cooking, inspect six 1/2-pint jars for cracks and rings for rust, discarding any defective ones. Immerse in simmering water until jam is ready. Wash new, unused lids and rings in warm soapy water.
• Fill hot, sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a clean knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars to remove any air bubbles. Wipe rims with a moist paper towel to remove any residue. Top with lids and screw rings on tightly.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars 2 inches apart into the boiling water using a holder. Pour in more boiling water to cover jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and let rest, several inches apart, for 12 to 24 hours. Press the center of each lid with a finger to ensure the lid does not move up or down. Remove the rings for storage and store in a cool, dark area.

PASTELITOS (GUAVA AND CREAM CHEESE PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Prepare an egg wash: In a small bowl, beat the egg with a pinch of salt and set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll one sheet of puff pastry into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle roughly the size of a standard sheet of paper. (Keep the other puff pastry sheet in the refrigerator.) Dust off any excess flour and lay the rolled pastry sheet on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Dip a pastry brush into the egg wash, and paint a line in lengthwise along the center of the pastry sheet, followed by three crosswise lines, evenly spaced, forming a grid of 8 rectangles, each approximately 3 inches wide and 4 inches long. Brush edges with egg wash. Lay a slice of guava paste in the center of each rectangle (or dot with dollops of jam or preserves, if using). Spread some of the cream cheese, if using, on top of the guava paste (about 1 1/2 tablespoons cream cheese per pastry).
• Remove the second sheet of puff pastry from the refrigerator, and roll it out into an 8-by-11-inch rectangle, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Lay the second sheet of puff pastry on top of the first. Using the side of your palm, press around and between the mounds of filling, pressing out any excess air, and to glue the top pastry to the bottom, creating 8 even, rectangular pockets. Paint the top sheet of puff pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle the surface with sugar.
• Using a knife or bench scraper, cut out and separate the 8 pastelitos following the original grid in between the indentations in the dough. Trim the perimeter to neaten the rectangles. The dough should still be cool to the touch; if it is warm, return the pastelitos to the refrigerator on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to firm up before baking.
• Bake pastelitos until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.