Steps in making guava jellies:
1.Select the fruit – a mixture of slightly underripe and ripe fruits is best for jelly-making.
2.Prepare the fruit . Wash the fruit very well, preferably in cold running water or in several changes of cold water. Crush the soft fruits and grind or chop hard ones to increase the area for pectin extraction. Place the fruit in a large kettle. Cover barely with water to prevent scorching. The amount of water to be used depends on the kind of fruit. Juicy or watery fruits require less water (about one-half cup water per kilo of fruit).
3.Boil the fruit. Boil the fruit slowly for maximum extraction of juice and pectin. The length of boiling time depends on the variety and texture of the fruit. Soft fruits may be tender after boiling for two to three minutes, while firmer fruits will require longer boiling. Do not over boil or overcook because long boiling reduces the jellying strength of the pectin
4.Extract the juice. Transfer the cooked pulp and juice into a damp jelly bag and allow the juice to drain completely. The clearest jelly comes from the fruit that has dripped through a jelly bag without pressing. However, more juice can be obtained if the bag of juice is twisted and pressed just hard enough to squeeze out only the juice. Re-strain pressed juices through a double thickness of damp cheesecloth without squeezing. Fruits rich in pectin are usually extracted twice. Return pulp into the kettle in which it was previously boiled. Add water and boil again. Drain. Mix the first and second extractions.
5.Add the sugar. Measure the juice (in a pan) and boil before adding sugar. The amount of sugar depends on the pectin content of the juice. For fruit juices rich in pectin, one cup of sugar per cup of juice is used. For those with moderate amounts of pectin, about ¾ cup of sugar per cup of fruit juice is needed. For pale juices, it is
advisable to add sugar before boiling the juice since the longer the juice and the sugar are heated together, the deeper or brighter the color of the product.
6.Cooking the jelly. If you are a starter, cook no more than two cups of jelly. Boil and cover as fast as possible without stirring until setting or jellying end point is reached.