Fruits
Brazilian Guava (Araçá) in gelato
Araca (Psidium cattleianum), the Brazilian Cattley or strawberry guava, is a small, intensely aromatic and highly acidic native fruit. In gelato it works as a low-sugar, high-acid flavour and anti-freeze (PAC) contributor, used mainly in sorbetti and fruit gelati.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 20% |
| Water | 80% |
| Sugars | 6.5% |
| Fat | 0.6% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 0.8% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 8.3 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 12.2 |
Typical use: 20-35% as fruit puree in a water-based sorbetto; 12-20% in a milk-based gelato
Balance brazilian guava (araçá) in a real recipe
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Araca is prized in sorbetto and fruit gelato for its bright, tart guava-strawberry aroma. Its sugars are dominated by fructose and glucose with little sucrose, giving a high PAC (~1.85-1.9x sucrose) against a moderate POD (~1.28x): the fruit depresses the freezing point and keeps the mix scoopable while adding limited sweetness. Because natural sugar is low (~6-7%) and acidity high (pH ~3.6), add sucrose plus a little dextrose to reach roughly 26-32% total solids and balance sweetness against the tartness. Always sieve the pulp to remove the hard seeds.
Origin & background
Araca is native to the Atlantic coast of Brazil and was botanically described as Psidium cattleianum by Sabine in 1821, honouring the English horticulturist William Cattley. Widely known as Cattley guava or strawberry guava, it was later carried across the tropics and is now a notorious invasive species in Hawaii and other Pacific islands. In Brazil it remains a traditional native fruit, eaten fresh and used in juices, jams and ice creams.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- https://lume.ufrgs.br/handle/10183/202723 (Bosenbecker, UFRGS thesis 2019 — Composicao fisico-quimica, nutricional e compostos bioativos do araca amarelo (Psidium cattleianum Sabine); Tabela 2 base umida: umidade 84.03, cinzas 0.76, proteinas 0.95, lipideos 0.11, fibras totais 8.42, carboidratos 5.74 g/100g; SST 7 Brix, pH 3.64)
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814618304394 (Sganzerla et al., Food Chemistry 2018 — Psidium cattleianum fruits: a review on its composition and bioactivity; ripe fruit fructose up to 22.83 and glucose 16.42 g/100g dry matter, reducing-sugar dominant, low sucrose)
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29655760/ (PubMed record for the Food Chemistry review above)
- https://natureclaim.com/nutrition/info/strawberry-guava/ (Strawberry guava per 100g: water 80.66, carbohydrate 17.36, fiber 5.40, protein 0.58, fat 0.60, 69 kcal)
- https://www.tbca.net.br/base-dados/int_composicao_alimentos.php?cod_produto=BRC0228C (TBCA-USP entry: Araca, polpa, com casca, sem semente, in natura, Brasil)