Miss Binky’s Guava Jelly
Posted by Ben | Under Lick The Plate Clean Recipes Tuesday Aug 26, 2008
Growing up in Immokalee (FL), a biscuit was never complete without a tablespoon (or two) of homemade guava jelly. Our area restaurants featured it as a staple, as did most households in our town. I am not sure if many of you have ever tried guava jelly, but it is somewhat of an acquired taste.
One of the best guava jelly makers is Brenda “Binky” Williams. She is the aunt of my brother in law and a next door neighbor growing up. Miss Binky seemed to perfect the recipe with some type of special touch, perhaps it is love. Here is her short and simple recipe.
Miss Binky’s Guava Jelly
5 cups guava juice
1 box Sure-jel
7 cups sugar
Bring guava juice to boil, and add Sure-jel. Boil to dissolve Sure-jel, add sugar bringing to rolling boil and cook 1 1/2 minutes.
Makes 5 pints.
NOTE: You must know how to make jelly in order to complete this recipe! However, if homemade jelly is a bit too advanced, I might suggest that you contact me and I can put you in touch with a small local vendor that delivers a quality product.
Guava jelly is great on Ritz crackers with cream cheese, spooned over chocolate covered graham crackers, laden on hot buttermilk biscuits or eaten by the spoonful right out of the jar! This is NOT for the diabetics in the family.
Oh, my oh my! My mother and Aunt Johnny Lowery put up gallons of this each year. I never liked it — probably because I was one of the kids who had to help gather the guavas. They are like mangoes — green, ripe and rotten all at once on the ground, and let me tell you how BAD a rotten guava smells! Mercy!!
Actually, they’re not all that great when they’re cooking, either. I’m cursed with a “super sniffer” — believe me it’s a curse! — and certain smells get next to me and never leave my sensory memory. Guavas are definitly one of those.
Like all tropical fruit jellies, it’s great with crispy fried fish (use panko crumbs and egg whites and bake fillets rather than frying if you prefer) especially when mixed with hot pepper jelly or mango or peach chutney.
I will say it gleams gorgeously in those clear glass Ball jars, and makes a beautiful shelf display.
I miss all my mom’s jellies and especially her fig preserves. My biscuits aren’t the same in the morning without them.