FEIJOAS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 14, Issue 361, 24 May 1946, Page 26

FEIJOAS

EIJOAS are becoming more widely known and appreciated; but for those who are not sure what they are like, let me quote from this letter from one of our constant readers, "Mrs. Nicotinus." "Feijoas don’t change colour when they are ripe-just soften. They are sometimes called pineapple guavas. The flower is beautiful, the same red as the pohutukawa flower, and has the same spiky inflorescence with a collar of cuplike sepals of two shades of green. My daughter has just shown me in a botany book that the feijoa belongs to the myrtle family, as do eight or nine of our New Zealand trees — Pohutukawa, Rata, Black Maire, etc. "The fruit may be eaten raw — the inside is sweet and quite nice. Raw, it can be peeled and sliced thinly and put in fruit salads, or with sliced bananas. My friend who gave me some fruit has bottled some and they look lovely. She peeled them thinly and left them whole, and did them in syrup. We’ve had them peeled, cut up, and stewed. "Here is a recipe for Feijoa and Melon Jam: Four pounds of feijoas, cut up with the skin on; 4lb. of melon; 6lb. of sugar; and 2 breakfast cups of water. Just cut it up and simmer with the water. Then add the sugar, stir till it is dissolved, and boil until the jam will set. "Feijoa Jelly: Cup the feijoas with the skin on, and cover comfortably with water. Simmer for 2 hours or more, till the juice is all extracted from the fruit. Strain through a jelly bag. Bring to the boil, add cup for cup of sugar; and when the sugar is dissolved, boil hard till it will set. Lemons would perhaps improve it. "I hope this will help your readers, Mrs. Nicotinus."

Feijoa and Guava Jelly Here are some more recipes: Three pounds of feijoas; 11b, ordinary red guavas; and 2Ib. of apples, Cut up the fruit roughly, and boil till well pulped-about one hour. Strain well, boil the juice, and add 1 cup of sugar to each cup of juice, and then boil till it will jell-about ten minutes. Feijoa Conserve Make a syrup with 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. Cut the peeled feijoas in quarters or eighths, and drop in. Remove the peel and pith from a lemon, and cut up the inside, and add. Simmer till it will set. It results in a lovely jelly. Feijoa Jam Peel the feijoas thinly and cut in slices. Put the peels in a pan, cover with water and boil about ten minutes. Strain off the liquid, discarding the peels; and add about 1 quart of this liquid te 121b. of fruit. Cook all together

until soft, then add 341b. of sugar to each pound of cut fruit, and boil till it will set when tested. The less cooking feijoas have, whether for stewing or for jam, the more flavour they have,