The nights are getting colder and the days are getting shorter but there is one consolation – its feijoa time! Feijoas are a kiwi favourite and they are a must in anyone’s garden. Native to Brazil and related to the tea tree, pohutakawa, rata and guava, the feijoa was first introduced into New Zealand in the early 1900’s. They will grow well in a container for many years providing you give it plenty of moisture and feed.
It’s a versatile plant that will screen out the neighbour or an unwanted view. Make sure you plant where you can take full advantage of the stunning flowers over Christmas or the delicious fruit from autumn to winter.
The uses for feijoas are numerous from simply eating fresh through to bottling for some tasty wine. They can be added to fresh fruit salads, cooked in puddings and are scrumptious in cakes. The fruit is not the only delicacy of this plant – the showy bright red flowers add life to salads or cake decorations. Don’t let any of your home grown feijoas go to waste this year. Enjoy them in lots of different ways; here are a couple of particularly yummy feijoa recipes courtesy of www.edibles.co.nz
Feijoa Cheesecake
Ingredients
Base
- 250 g gingernuts, can be replaced with Anzac biscuits
- 100 g butter, melted
Filling
- 10 medium feijoas, approx 250g scooped flesh
- 1 lime, finely grated rind and juice
- 250 g cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup greek yoghurt
- 2 Tbsp mild honey
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 3 tsp powdered gelatine
- 2 Tbsp boiling water
Directions
- Lightly butter the sides and base of a 20cm springform cake pan. Line the base with baking paper.
- Crush the biscuits very finely. Keep a 1/4 cup aside to sprinkle on top. Combine the remainder with the butter. Press onto the base of the pan. Chill.
- Blend the feijoa flesh and lime rind and juice in a food processor, until smooth. Add the cream cheese, yoghurt, honey, vanilla essence and blend until smooth. Dissolve the gelatine in the boiling water and add to the filling. Mix well.
- Pour onto the biscuit base. Cover and chill for 3 hours or overnight.
- Serve in wedges topped with the reserved crushed biscuits.
Feijoa Loaf
Ingredients:
- 1 cup feijoas, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup white sugar
- 50g butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups self-raising flour
Method:
- Place feijoas, boiling water, white sugar and butter into a pot.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, cool slightly, then beat in your egg, flour, and baking soda.
- Pour into a greased loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 45-50 minutes.
Feijoa Chutney
Ingredients:
- 1.25kg feijoa pulp
- 500g onions, chopped
- 600ml vinegar
- 1kg brown sugar
- 1/2 packet mixed spice
- 625g apples, peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 small 1/2tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Method:
Put all together in a large saucepan, bring to the boil and boil for one hour and pour into sterilized jars and seal.
Feijoa Jam with Vanilla and Fresh Ginger
Ingredients:
- 1kg of feijoas (best is a little firm because the pectin level will be higher)
- 4 cups of sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
- 3cm fresh ginger
- ¼ cup of water
- juice of 1 lemon
Method:
- Peel and slice the feijoas. Put into a saucepan or preserving pan with the sugar.
- Slit the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the pan, add the pod.
- Peel and finely chop the ginger and add with the water and lemon.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until the fruit is soft, then increase the temperature and boil for 10 minutes.
- Remove the vanilla pod, then pour into sterilised jars and seal.
Feijoa and Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients:
- 1 cup feijoa, flesh
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 75 g butter, melted
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 orange, grated zest and juice (or use 1 lemon)
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 125 g cream cheese, cut in cubes
Method:
- Heat oven to 200C and grease a 12-hole muffin pan.
- Combine the feijoas, sugar and butter in a bowl.
- Stir in the eggs, sour cream and orange or lemon zest and juice.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and stir until just combined.
- Spoon mixture into prepared pan, gently pushing in pieces of cream cheese as you go, leaving 12 pieces to push into the top of each muffin.
- Bake for 20 minutes until firm and golden.