Cold-Soaked Guava Drink
Dried guava rehydrated in a bottle until the water tastes like fruit.
- calories
- 260
- weight
- 2.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 104
- protein
- 2 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 2 min
- water
- 700 ml cold
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Drink
- Snack
- Cold soak
- No cook
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Day hike
- Bikepacking
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Eat in the bag
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Dried guava slices | 2 oz | unsulfured if you can find it, chopped small |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp | skip it if the fruit is already candied |
| Citric acid or powdered lime | 1/4 tsp | |
| Salt | 1/8 tsp |
Method
- Drop the chopped guava, sugar, acid, and salt into a wide-mouth bottle.
- Add 700 ml of cold water and shake for ten seconds.
- Let it sit at least an hour while you walk. Longer is better.
- Drink it down, then eat the softened fruit out of the bottom. That is where most of the calories are.
The source here was a nutrition write-up rather than a recipe, so this is built from the one thing it actually establishes: guava carries well as dried fruit and is unusually high in vitamin C. Fresh guava is not a trail item. Dried slices are, and they rehydrate into something worth drinking.
The acid and salt are doing the real work. Sugar water alone tastes flat after a few miles; a little citric acid brings the fruit forward and the salt makes it read as a drink instead of a syrup. Do not throw the soaked fruit away when the bottle is empty.
Packing
Chop the fruit at home and premix the sugar, acid, and salt with it in one bag. Whole slices soak slowly and clog a bottle mouth.
Variations
- A pinch of chili powder and extra salt turns it into an electrolyte drink instead of a sweet one.
- In camp with a stove going, pour boiling water over half the fruit for a hot version, then top with cold.
https://www.awesomecuisine.com/recipes/10210/guava-benefits