Fruits
Guava in gelato
Guava is a tropical fruit purée prized in gelato and sorbetto for its intense, musky-floral aroma and pink-to-cream color. As a sugar-and-water-rich fruit with modest fiber and protein, it contributes flavor, natural sweetness, and a notable anti-freezing (PAC) boost driven by its fructose-dominant sugar blend.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 19% |
| Water | 81% |
| Sugars | 9% |
| Fat | 1% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 2.6% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 11 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 15 |
Typical use: 25-40% of the mix as purée in a fruit sorbetto; 15-25% in a milk-based gelato.
Balance guava in a real recipe
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Use ripe guava as a strained purée to avoid gritty stone cells and seeds. Its sugars are fructose-dominant, so per gram of sugar it lowers the freezing point more than sucrose (PAC blend ~1.7 vs sucrose), giving a softer, more scoopable sorbetto; account for this by trimming added dextrose/inverted sugar to keep serving hardness in range. POD runs slightly above sucrose (~1.2), so guava also adds a touch of extra perceived sweetness. Its pectin and fiber give body and help stabilize texture. Pink guava also lends natural color. Balance total solids for a fruit sorbetto (typically 30-36% solids) using the fruit's ~19% solids as the base.
Origin & background
Guava (Psidium guajava) is native to tropical Mesoamerica and was domesticated in the pre-Columbian Americas before Spanish and Portuguese traders spread it worldwide from the 16th century. It is exceptionally rich in vitamin C: USDA data list roughly 228 mg per 100 g, several times that of an orange. Today India, China, and Brazil are among the largest producers.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/173044/nutrients (USDA FoodData Central — Guavas, common, raw, FDC ID 173044: water 80.8 g, protein 2.55 g, fat 0.95 g, total carbohydrate 14.32 g, total sugars 8.92 g, fiber 5.4 g per 100 g)
- https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Guavas%2C_raw%2C_common_nutritional_value.html (USDA SR mirror confirming water ~80.8, sugars ~8.9, protein ~2.6, fat ~0.95 per 100 g)
- https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/nskkk1962/29/8/29_8_472/_article (Guava (Psidium guajava L.) Sugar Components and Related Enzymes at Stages of Fruit Development and Ripening — fructose-dominant sugar profile)
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814696002713 (Changes in chemical composition of guava fruits during development and ripening — individual sugars fructose>glucose~sucrose, total ~8-9 g/100 g at ripeness)
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8811728/ (Changes in sugar, ash and minerals in four guava cultivars during ripening — cultivar variation in fructose/glucose/sucrose)
- https://www.matvaretabellen.no/en/guava-raw/ (Norwegian food table — outlier entry: water 86 g, sugars 4.9 g; not used as anchor)