How to Dry Guava
Native to the Caribbean, guava is a healthy snack option. Guava is high in fiber, low in calories and has five times the vitamin C that an orange does. Guava is also rich in vitamin A, folate, potassium, calcium and iron. Guavas can be stored at room temperature until you're ready to dry them. Drying is a convenient way to store guava after it ripens, and an excellent way to transport guava on hikes, car trips or for snacks. Drying guava at home is economical and maintains its nutritional status. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 2 lbs guavas
- Chef's knife
- 1 quart cool water
- 4 quart bowl or pot
- 5 1 gram crushed vitamin C tabs
- Tongs
- Cookie sheet or jelly roll pan
- Roll of parchment paper
- Wooden spoon
Instructions
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1
Wash the guavas with warm water. Mix the vitamin C tabs with the 1 quart of water in the bowl or pot. Cover the cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with a portion of parchment paper from your parchment paper roll. Preheat the oven to 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
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2
Slice the guavas into 1/4 inch slices with the chef's knife. You may choose to slice the guava into thinner slices, knowing that your guava will be more crispy, like apple chips, than chewy, like a dried fruit. You may also slice your guava more thickly, but the guava will take longer to dry.
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3
Pick up each piece of sliced guava with the tongs, put the guava in the vitamin C tab and water mix and allow the guava to soak for five minutes. The vitamin C and water mix will help the guava maintain its color. Arrange the guava slices in one layer on the cookie sheet. If you end up with more guava than cookie sheet or jelly roll pan space, rearrange the guava so you have only one layer or prepare another cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
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4
Remove the treated guava from the vitamin C and water mix with the tongs. Place the treated guava onto the cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Put the cookie sheet or jelly roll pan into the preheated oven.
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5
Insert the wooden spoon in between the oven door and the oven frame so that the oven door is slightly ajar. This will keep the oven temperature warm enough to dry the guava and cool enough so as not to cook the guava.
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6
Allow the guava to dry for four hours in the oven. Sample a piece of guava from the oven. The guava is done when it is chewy, not squishy. If the guava is still squishy allow it to continue to dry in the oven, checking the guava again at the five hour mark, the six hour mark, the seven hour mark and the eight hour mark. After the eight hour mark, if the guava is still squishy, check it every half hour.
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References
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