Well, just a follow up on my Guava jelly. We decided to make a double batch, and failed miserably. Internet directions said to wash fruit, cut off the tops and bottoms, and cut each Guava into 8 pieces. Cover with water, and boil for 30 minutes. You then use the same boiled water but scoop and mush through the strainer back into the water. Add 2 cups of sugar, boil for 30 minutes until thick, then can into boiled mason jars.
The issue was they were not precise with the water measurements, so we ended up with over a gallon of a soupy mess, which never thickened. We gave up and threw it all away.
My next experiment, I went back to basics. I only used 10 Guavas, cut and sliced as before, but only added enough water to barely fill the bottom of the pan. After mushing and scraping the seeds out, adding 1 cup of sugar, boiling for 30 minutes, it became thicker. We canned 3 jars, and after a day, placed one in the fridge overnight.
We made some sourdough toast, and spread the Guava jelly on top. It had a nice, somewhat thick texture, and sure tasted like Guava, but still needs some sort of contrasting flavor. Some recipes say to add cinnamon sticks, but since I have two loaded lemon trees, I think adding the zest of 4-5 lemons would add much more flavor, so this will be our next attempt.
I never professed to be a canner, but I am learning!
