Guava Juice: Easy Homemade Recipe (231 mg Vitamin C a Glass)

Guava is one of the richest sources of vitamin C you can buy, with more than twice as much as an orange gram for gram. Fresh guava juice captures that in a drink that’s fragrant, tropical and naturally thick, a bit like a cross between strawberry and pear. Homemade juice lets you control the sugar, unlike bottled guava nectar, which is often more sugar than fruit.

For more on the fruit, see our guava nutrition guide and our comparison of guava vs orange, or browse our other recipes.

How to choose guavas for juice

Ripe guavas are the key to good juice. Look for fruit that has turned from bright green to yellow-green or pale yellow, gives slightly when pressed, and smells sweet and musky at the stem end. Hard, dark green guavas are unripe and will make sour, astringent juice; leave them on the counter for a few days to ripen.

• Pink guavas give a beautiful coral-colored juice with a sweet, berry-like flavor. They’re also a source of lycopene.
• White guavas are slightly more tart and make a pale, cloudy juice. Both work well.
• Frozen guava pulp, sold in Latin American grocery stores, is a convenient alternative. Use about 14 ounces of thawed pulp and check the label for added sugar.

Guavas are sold in many US supermarkets in fall and winter, and in Latin American and Asian markets most of the year.

Why this recipe works

• No peeling needed: guava skin is thin and edible and blends smoothly, so you keep its nutrients and save time.
• Blending with less water first: a thicker purée blends more smoothly and is easier to strain.
• Straining the seeds: guava seeds are hard, and blending them leaves a gritty texture. A fine sieve removes them while keeping most of the pulp.
• Lime and salt: a squeeze of lime brightens the flavor, and a pinch of salt makes the fruit taste sweeter, so you need less sugar.

Variations

• No added sugar: very ripe pink guavas are often sweet enough on their own. Skip the sugar to bring each glass down to about 70 calories.
• Guava agua fresca: add 1 extra cup of water and plenty of ice for a lighter, more refreshing drink.
• Guava-pineapple: replace 1 cup of the water with pineapple juice, or blend in a cup of fresh pineapple.
• Guava-ginger: blend a 1-inch piece of peeled fresh ginger with the guavas.
• Sparkling guava: make the juice with half the water, then top each glass with chilled sparkling water.
• Smoothie: skip the straining, use less water, and blend with yogurt and a frozen banana. Our dragon fruit smoothie bowl uses a similar method.

Nutrition per glass

We calculated the nutrition from USDA FoodData Central values for raw common guava, sugar and lime juice, divided into 4 glasses. Values are for the blended fruit before straining; straining removes the seeds and some fiber, so the fiber in your glass will be lower.

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central: guavas, common, raw (FDC 173044); sugars, granulated (169655); lime juice, raw (168156). Daily Values per the FDA label.

One glass provides well over a full day’s vitamin C. Your body can only absorb and use so much at once, so there’s no benefit to drinking more than a glass a day for vitamin C alone. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from plant foods, which makes a glass of guava juice a good partner for a bean, lentil or fortified-cereal meal. See our vitamin C guide and our list of fruits high in vitamin C for more.

Guava juice vs whole guava

Whole guava is the better everyday choice. It’s more filling, contains all its fiber, and takes longer to eat, so it’s harder to overdo. Juice concentrates several fruits into one glass, and straining removes some of the fiber that slows the absorption of sugar. Our guide to juicing vs eating whole fruit explains the trade-offs in more detail.

Homemade guava juice is still a far better option than most bottled guava nectars, which are often around 25 to 35 percent fruit, with added sugar making up much of the rest. If you have diabetes, keep to a small glass with a meal, or eat the whole fruit instead. For other homemade drinks, try our calamansi juice or agua de jamaica.

Storage

• Fridge: store in a covered pitcher or jar for up to 2 days. Vitamin C slowly breaks down once the fruit is cut, so it’s best fresh.
• Separation: the pulp settles over time. Stir or shake well before serving.
• Freezer: freeze the unsweetened purée in ice cube trays for up to 3 months and blend the cubes with water when needed.
• Whole guavas: ripen at room temperature, then refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Guava juice FAQ