Jellies have been around since ancient times. The little story is that the goal was not to make jelly but rather to cook the fruits in sweet products (honey or grape wine) to preserve them. Thus it was possible to consume the fruits out of season and also to cope with heavy harvests.
Later, in the Middle Ages, jellies and jams were also medicines! They were part of the pharmacopoeia of the time. It was much later that jams and jellies were valued for what they were. The recipes and the different fruits then multiplied over time and Martinique was no exception to the rule.
In Martinique, guava jelly is a pure delight that is prepared for morning toast during breakfast. Not to be confused, however, with guava jam, the texture and preparation of which are different.
For 5 jelly jars:
- 2 kg of guavas
- 1½ kg of cane sugar
- 1 lemon
- Water
- Clean the guavas, cut them into pieces without peeling them.
- Put the fruit in a pressure cooker (but a saucepan or casserole will do the job just fine!).
- Cover with water about ⅘th. Cook over high heat for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Pass the cooking juices through a sieve. You can use a towel or kitchen towel and squeeze it.
- Add the sugar and lemon juice. A lemon zest peel can also be added.
- Return to high heat.
- To know when your jelly is ready, put a plate in the freezer and from time to time place a drop of the jelly on the cold plate. When the syrup becomes thick on contact with the cold, the jelly is ready to be put in jars.
- Allow about half an hour for the jelly to thicken and cool.