Why it works: Guava and lime share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 30 recipes. Both carry decanal, which smells soap, orange peel. The science ↓
Guava Jam
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the pulp
Peel the guavas thinly.
Put them on to boil whole with enough water to cover.
Boil until they are very soft.
Take them out of the water and rub them through a sieve until only the seeds are left.
Make the jam
To each cup of pulp allow 3/4 c. sugar.
Put the fruit and sugar into a clean sauce-pan and boil to the consistency of jam.
Bottle in sterilized jars.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lime | juice of 1 lime (44ml) | 11 |
| Guava | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Guava + limetop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together30 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Guava + sugartop 26% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together115 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
-
Sugar + limetop 29% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,332 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Guavas
- Provide the fruit pulp, which supplies the main flavour and body of the jam.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the jam and, as it cooks down, helps it set to a spreadable consistency.
- Lime juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavour and supports setting.
The step that matters
Boiling the pulp and sugar to the consistency of jam. Sugar and fruit pectin set as water evaporates, so the mixture must cook long enough to thicken. Undercooked jam stays runny, while overcooking can make it stiff and sugary.
Swap the lime
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (guava, sugar):
- Pineapplefits better
- Vanillafits better
- Mangofits better
- Limethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against guava, sugar. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.