The New Complete Book of Food
large walnut to that of an apple. A ripe guava will yield slightly when you press it with
your fingertip.
Avoid: Guavas with cracked or broken skin.Storing This Food
Refrigerate ripe guavas.Preparing This Food
Wash the guava under cool running water, then slice it in half and remove the seeds. Never
slice or peel the fruit until you are ready to use it. When you cut into the guava and damage
its cells, you activate ascorbic acid oxidase, an enzyme that oxidizes and destroys vitamin
C. The longer the enzyme is working, the more vitamin the fruit will lose.What Happens When You Cook This Food
As the guava cooks, its pectins and gums dissolve and the fruit gets softer. Cooking also
destroys some water-soluble, heat-sensitive vitamin C. You can keep the loss to a minimum
by cooking the guava as quickly as possible in as little water as possible. Never cook guavas
(or any other vitamin C-rich foods) in a copper or iron pot; contact with metal ions hastens
the loss of vitamin C.How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food
Canning. Canned guavas have less vitamin A and C and more sugar (syrup) than fresh
guavas do, but their flavor and texture is similar to home-cooked fruit.Medical Uses and/or Benefits
Lowering the risk of some cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, foods rich in
beta-carotene may lower the risk of cancers of the larynx, esophagus and lungs. There is
no such benefit from beta-carotene supplements; indeed, one controversial study actually
showed a higher rate of lung cancer among smokers taking the supplement.
Protection against heart disease. Foods high in antioxidants such as vitamin C appear to
reduce the risk of heart disease. In addition, foods high in pectins appear to lower the
amount of cholesterol circulating in your blood, perhaps by forming a gel in your stomach
that sops up fats and keeps them from being absorbed by your body.