Casquitos de guayaba (guava shells in spiced syrup) is a very light and easy-to-prepare dessert that even the novice cook will find very easy to master. This is one of our favorite ways to prepare and enjoy guava, our ancestral fruit that is always welcome on our table.
By - Last reviewed . Published Mar 8, 2011
Why we ❤️ it
How can something so simple be so delicious? Guava shells in syrup are a very light and easy-to-prepare dessert that even the most inexperienced cook can master. It is perfect for the end of a summer meal.
If you are lucky enough to find fresh guavas (what I would give to have one of those guava trees that give them red and very sweet), then you have the dessert already solved.
What are casquitos de guayaba?
Casquitos, in this context, means shells. Casquitos de guayaba are hollowed out, peeled guava halves cooked in a dark spiced syrup.
Guava shells in syrup.
Origin
Guava casquitos are also a popular dish among Cubans and Puerto Ricans as well. Guava is a pre-Columbian fruit [1] that was already known to the Tainos (who inhabited the three islands), so this is not surprising at all.
Top tips
- Sugar-free: If you are watching your weight, add less sugar and just enjoy the natural sweetness of this delicious fruit.
- Prunes: Prunes are not part of the traditional recipe; they are my addition; I just like them in this dish, but you can leave them out if you wish.
- With queso: Another way in which I have seen these shells served is with diced raw "queso de freír", if you don't have any, halloumi makes an acceptable substitute.
About this recipe
There are some variations on how to serve it and many recipes for cascos de guayaba. Maybe even from house to house. In some, it is just sugar and guava (and water to make the syrup); in others, more ingredients and spices are added, even served with queso blanco (queso de freír in the Dominican Republic).
This dish may not be fancy, or sophisticated, but you will hardly find a Dominican who will dislike it. I love the choice of spices I made for it, and I think they work very well with the guava.
How do you like casquitos de guayaba? Please let me know in the comments.
Recipe
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Casquitos de Guayaba (Guava Shells in Syrup)
Ingredients
- 9 ripe guavas, about 2.5 pounds or 1 kilogram
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 cloves
- 2 star anise, optional
- ⅓ cup sugar (white, granulated)
- A pinch salt
- 6 prunes, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Peel and chop
Using a potato peeler or sharp paring knife, peel the guavas making sure to remove only the thin skin covering it. Discard the skins.Cut the guavas in halves and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Reserve the pulp for use in a later step.
2. Boil seeds
In a saucepan, combine the guava seeds, cinnamon, cloves, and anise plus 6 cups of water.Boil for ten minutes over medium heat or until the seeds separate, and the water turns a caramel color.Strain the liquid and discard the seeds, but extract as much as you can of the pulp between the seeds. Return the liquid to the pot.
3. Boil the pulp
- Add the peeled guavas you had saved to the pot with the liquid, add sugar, salt, prunes, and vanilla, and heat over low heat. Boil until the guava halves are soft, adding water if necessary to keep them from drying out.Once the pulp is soft, and you obtain a slightly thick syrup, remove it from heat and cool to room temperature.
4. Serve
Serve: Remove the spices. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Cook's Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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Guava recipes
After guava paste and guava jam, guava casquitos are the best thing you can make with this fruit (although there is competition with guava juice). With dulce de guayaba I also made a delicious guava BBQ sauce that you will love.
Another of my favorite guava recipes is a guava and ricotta cheese pie that is a hit every time I make it.
References
- Historiadores primitivos de Indias. Don Enrique de Vedia. Imprenta y Estereotipía de M. Rivadeneyra. Tome 1. Page 500, 1852
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