This guava paste recipe offsets the sweetness of the guava & sugar with tart rosella flowers. The colour of the fruit paste is reminiscent to quince paste, and you use it in exactly the same way, particularly good paired with cheese, a dessert known as romeu e julieta.

Guava and rosella paste spiced w/ clove and pepper

Ingredients

800g Hawaiian guava, peeled, desseded and cut into 1-2cm cubes

200g rosella flowers, deseeded

2 cups water

800g white sugar

1 tsp clove powder

1 tsp cracked pepper

juice of 1 lemon

1. Place the guava, rosella flowers, and water into a large preserving pan. Cook for 20 minutes until the fruit is soft. Remove from the heat and cool until safe to process with a stick blender.

2. Pass through a sieve or food mill.

3. Return to cleaned pan and add sugar, spices and lemon juice. Cook over a gentle heat stirring frequently to avoiding burning the fruit (and having to clean a burnt pan!). Reduce until the mix comes away from the edge of the pan, or a wooden spoon on the base of the pan makes a temporary path.

4. Place mix in lined or oiled moulds. Place in the fridge to set. To de-mould pour boiling water on the base of the mould and pop out. Store in the fridge.