My very own, homegrown, perfectly formed, luscious green FEIJOAS! I was totally surprised and totally amazed and totally over the moon!I had seen some little baby feijoas forming on our trees a while ago, but figured they would drop off in the drought. These trees have done it hard. They were one of the first species we planted out here about four years ago, we weren't even living here. Very neglected, left to rough it in the howling gales. This year they have reached the grand height of up-to-my-bum.
But they produced these for me! The little darlings! You don't pick feijoas or they are too hard and sour, best to gather them from the ground when they fall. There is still a handful on the trees, I'll be checking daily now in anticipation.There's not enough of these to cook with, we'll be eating them by cutting them in half and scooping out with a spoon. But when I do cook with them I love them in a crumble, or stewed on breakfast or over icecream. They are also nice in an apple spice cake instead of, or combined with, the apple.
*sigh*. Is there anything as satisfying as your own homegrown fruit and veg?
Edited: Elaine's comment has made me realise that not everyone will know what that fruit is!
Feijoas are a subtropical fruit, preferring to grow somewhere a bit warmish (but still very hardy to wind - ours can testify). Glossy, dark green leaves and a smallish tree, they can make a nice hedge - productive in more than one way - excellent! The fruit range in size from golfball to duckegg size (I don't work in imperial so you get object approximations!) and taste? Well, quite aromatic, a cross between a pineapple and a .... I don't know, but they have a slightly grainy texture like a pear and I think they are a love or hate fruit. I love.
So I chopped one in half for you to see the inside and then I had to eat it, yum. Mine are small fruit (blame the drought), they usually have four seed divisions.
Hmm, I think I'll go have another.
Hey Ms.Lottie, what the hey are those fruits? Anything stateside similar? They look like a cross between a lime, a pear, a mango...oh Lord, it's fruit gone wild! I guess this is what happens when you least expect it. I am very curious now, Elaine
ReplyDeleteThe chook shed is done, wahoo!!
Oh yum! I've heard them referred to here sometimes as pineapple guavas, many people don't know what on earth a feijoa is. They often get used for hedging so sometimes on a walk out with the kids, I gather a few from the footpath.....
ReplyDeleteWish we could grow them here - a bit too cold unfortunately :(
ReplyDeleteI bought a bottle of apple and feijoa juice which was totally yummy. I'm thinking of trying to make some home made just to see if I can get a little of that flavour through my normal apple cordial.
viv in nz
I love love love feijoas! We had our first crumble a week or so ago.
ReplyDeleterecipe here
http://ourweefarm.blogspot.com/2010/04/crumble-feijoas-are-fruit-i-had-never.html
We missed the rain as were still in Melbourne, I heard it was brilliant :)
You lucky thing, you. Love feijoas, but we had to leave our tiny tree in Tom Price when we left, and I haven't found another since. They make a nice wine, too.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you explained the fruit. I had no idea what they were.
ReplyDeleteFeijoas are the best fruit in the world, my young plant isn't growing any this year. Next year maybe...
ReplyDelete