subject: What To Do When Feijoa Season Is Over [print this page] Ah, feijoa seasonAh, feijoa season. Such a special time of year, because feijoa fans can indulge to their heart's content on this luscious fruit in its most enjoyable form - fresh from the tree. For just over three months, when feijoas are literally falling off the trees faster than one can eat them, it seems this wonderful bounty will never end. But when it inevitably does, then we are left with only our memories of this sweet, tart and slightly minty jewel.
So what is one to do during the remaining nine feijoa-free months of the year? How can one satisfy their craving for this unique fruit when the produce shelves are barren of this New Zealand delicacy? Here are a few ideas to get you through the months until the next feijoa season arrives.
First, what in the world is a feijoa?
If you are one of those unlucky enough to have never been introduced to feijoas, you really don't know what you are missing. They are small (about the size of a kiwi fruit), with a thin green skin that surrounds a fragrant, jelly-like center. Feijoas originated in South America and were brought to New Zealand about 100 years ago. They are often referred to as "pineapple guava" and many people mistake them for guavas. Both guavas and feijoas are part of the myrtle family, which includes other fragrant plants such as eucalyptus, allspice and clove.
What do feijoas taste like?
Describing the taste of a feijoa is tricky, as it has such a complex blend of flavors. Most compare the highly fragrant and soft center of feijoas to pineapples, strawberries and guavas as well as quince and lemons. Feijoas also have an essence of mint or eucalyptus to them. The texture is somewhat gritty, like that of a pear. It is very important that you only eat feijoas when they are ripe - especially for your initial introduction to these little green gems. I had a friend whose first bite of a feijoa was from a rather hard, unripened fruit. For years, he was unable to comprehend how such an awful-tasting fruit could inspire such die-hard fans!
Saving feijoas for the future
Freezing feijoas
One simple way to keep feijoas for months is to simply freeze them. Some people simply take ripe feijoas, cut them open, and scoop out the fruit into freezable containers. It can be helpful to store them in quantities of one or two cups, so they are pre-measured in case you want to use them in recipes. Others recommend cooking the feijoas first before freezing them. Some have even had success popping the entire feijoa into the freezer (skin and all). When you want to eat them, boil them whole, remove the skin and they are ready to go. To avoid browning of the fruit, it is best to cook them first with a sugar and water solution, and add some lemon juice to the batch.
Cooking with feijoas
Feijoas are quite versatile for cooking. They can easily be added to sauces, ice cream and smoothies, using either fresh or frozen feijoas. Making feijoa chutney is quite popular as well. Some folks even include the feijoa skins (which can be quite bitter, so this is not for everyone!) in their chutney recipes. They do well in cakes and other baked goods as well. Feijoa crumble is an easy recipe where you simply place fresh feijoas in a baking pan and cover them with a flour and sugar topping. Yum!
What to do when you run out of feijoas
Okay, so you planned for the off-season and stored plenty of feijoas in the freezer and cooked them in jams and jellies...but you've eaten them all and you still have a few months to go until the season begins. So now what? Well, here you have to get really creative. But there are options available out there for you, such as the following:
Edible feijoa products
Chocolates - There are a few confectionery shops that sell feijoa chocolates. Lemon, orange and mint truffles are well-known, so why not feijoa truffles?
Feijoa candies - The Remarkable Sweet Shop sells feijoa-flavoured hard candies with a sour kick to them.
Cereal - There is even feijoa cereal available. Check it out at New Zealand Made Goodies.
Non-edible feijoa products
Feijoa-scented lotion and soap - Feijoas have a lovely fragrance, so why not include it in your skincare supplies? Mor's sells a feijoa-lime scented soap and lotion pack so you can pamper your skin and dream of feijoas.
T-shirts - Okay, when you are truly desperate, at least you can proclaim to the world your love of feijoas with an "I Heart Feijoas" t-shirt, or even a hat or necktie. Maybe when feijoa season comes around, someone will reward you with a crateful of fresh fruit as a result!
