How You Can Tell When A Guava Is Ripe

Fruits usually have a mind of their own, and if you aren't a pro, it can be easy to miss the tiny window of opportunity for optimum ripeness — especially when it comes to guavas. While you may think that your freshly-picked produce has some time until it's ready, the truth is guavas actually can become over-ripened very easily and fast on their way to going stale. The good news, however, is that checking a guava for its prime ripeness may not be as hard as you think.

According to Spoon University, the best way to tell whether a guava is ripe or not is by checking how soft it is. If a guava gives some push under your fingers when squeezed, it means that it's ripe and ready to be eaten. Even better, the softer this fruit feels, the sweeter it will be. When shopping for this tropical variety, it's recommended to look for ones that don't have any blemishes, as bruises can signify that they are bad and won't taste as sweet.

You can also check the ripeness level of a guava by the color of its skin. As a general rule of thumb, look for those with an overall light yellowish-green peel with a touch of pink to them — that means that this fruit is at its prime. Another way of checking is by giving it a good sniff. SF Gate says that a perfectly ripened guava will have an obvious tropical, floral, and sweet scent.

If you're too impatient to wait for unripened guavas to take their sweet time to become ready, here are a few handy tricks to help the process move long.

Epicurious suggests that hard, green guavas can be easily ripened at room temperature at home. Simply pop them in a paper bag alongside an apple or a banana and wait for the magic to happen. Be careful when using this method, though, as it can be quite speedy; SF Gate recommends checking your guavas every day if using this option because the fruit will ripen very quickly when put in a paper bag. If your guavas just don't seem to ripen, it's possible that they have been coated with an edible wax that delays the process. Simply rinse them off and it will get moving again.

Once your guavas are ripe, you only have about two days before they will go bad according to SF Gate. With only a small period of time to enjoy them, take full advantage! Slice your guavas in half, squeeze some lime on top, and enjoy.