Pastas de Guayaba de Sartén
Pastas de Guayaba de Sartén·(pahs-tahs deh gwah-yah-bah deh sahr-tehn)
Late-Night Plaza Sweets: Dulces y Sobremesa
Growing up, the smell of boiling guavas was the universal bat-signal that grandma was in the kitchen and something incredible was about to happen. In the plazas of Mérida, wandering vendors sell these glowing ruby jewels, but at home, they are an act of love. Yes, you have to stand at the stove and stir. Yes, the molten fruit will try to splatter you. But the reward is a dense, floral, unapologetically sweet paste that commercial brands can never replicate. By ditching the traditional massive copper pot for a wide non-stick skillet, evaporation time is cut in half, turning an arduous weekend project into a weeknight miracle.
Before you start
Prepare your mold.
Line a shallow rectangular dish or small baking sheet with wax paper or plastic wrap so the sticky paste can be easily lifted out once set.
Ingredients
- fresh guavas2 lb
- water3 cup
- granulated sugar2 cup
- fresh lime juice1 tbsp
- Edam cheese8 oz
Method
- 01
Boil the whole guavas.
Place the unpeeled guavas in a large pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce and simmer until completely tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- 02
Pulse gently, do not puree.
Transfer the softened guavas to a blender with a splash of the cooking water and pulse just enough to separate the flesh from the rock-hard seeds without pulverizing them into gritty sand.
- 03
Aggressively strain the pulp.
Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, using a silicone spatula to force the pectin-rich pulp through while leaving the seeds behind to discard; measure out about 2 cups of puree.
- 04
Combine and cook in a skillet.
Pour the puree and an equal measure of sugar into a wide, heavy-bottomed non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring until dissolved, then add the lime juice once it bubbles.
- 05
Stir the molten lava.
Cook the mixture, stirring constantly with a long-handled wooden spoon to prevent burning and avoid splatters, for 30 to 45 minutes until it darkens to a deep ruby-amber.
- 06
Look for the bottom of the pan.
You will know it is done when dragging your spoon across the bottom of the skillet leaves a clear, dry path that does not immediately fill back in.
- 07
Set and chill.
Pour the hot paste into your lined dish, spreading it into an even 1-inch layer, and allow it to cool completely before refrigerating overnight to set up fully.
- 08
Serve the sobremesa.
Lift the firm paste out, slice it into thick strips, and serve immediately alongside slices of salty Edam cheese.
Notes
Do not peel the guavas.
The natural pectin lives almost entirely in the skin; skipping this means your paste will never set properly without artificial help.
The skillet hack.
A wide skillet exponentially increases surface area compared to a deep pot, accelerating water evaporation and turning a multi-hour chore into a 45-minute process.
The mandatory cheese pairing.
Yucatecan sweets rely on contrasting flavors; eating this intensely sweet, floral paste without the salty, nutty bite of Queso de Bola (Edam) misses the point entirely.