Look off to the side of the road this time of year on much of the wetter (Northern) side of the island and you are sure to see lots of bright yellow Guavas (Psidium Guajava) ripening. You can also smell the pungent scent of the fruit that falls to the ground and creates a bounty for birds, pigs and insects alike.
While considered to be an invasive species, guavas have been an important food source on the islands since their introduction. Native to Mexico as well as Central and South America, guavas have been growing in Hawaii dating back to at least the late 1700’s. You can see how thick stands of these trees easily crowd out all others around them.
Though they may be plenty, due to their very short shelf life and fragility when ripe, a lot of folks have never had a guava, except perhaps in juice form. Indeed, guavas are one of the three fruits that comprise the famous POG juice (passionfruit, orange, guava).
Some Guava trees seem to produce sweeter fruit, while others can produce a very tart flavored fruit. The ones pictured here are from a particularly “sweet” tree.
The fruit can be eaten raw or juiced, and it’s great for making jam or jelly. Jars of the same can be seen on supermarket shelves everywhere on island. Wood from the guava tree is also used locally for smoking and cooking meat, and is favored over kiawe by some for its sweet scent.
Common guavas are ripe and ready to eat when they turn from green to yellow, and they’re in their prime with a bit of pink coloring on the skin. Ripe guava should smell sweet and musky, and you’ll have about a two day window to eat the fruit once it’s picked. You can scoop the center out or try them whole, skin and all. One thing is for sure though, the seeds can break your teeth, so be careful when eating a guava. There’s nothing like the flavor of this unique fruit, so enjoy it while it’s in season.
