Food

Food Information

Fruit

Tropical

FEIJOA

Better known to back-yard gardeners as the pineapple guava, the gray-green, egg-shaped feijoa is native to South America. Feijoas have recently enjoyed great commercial popularity in New Zealand; they've also been planted in some quantity in California.

Commercial feijoa varieties are uniformly 2 1/2 to 3 inches long (garden varieties are usually smaller). Their pale yellow flesh is very sweet, aromatic, and juicy, not unlike that of the common guava. Some describe the flavor as a cross between pineapple and banana. Tiny seeds in the soft inner pulp are edible. The thick, waxy skin is too tart to eat fresh, but it can be used in pickles or preserves.

A good source of vitamin C, feijoas have about 35 calories per 3 1/2 ounce serving. Fruits sold in markets are usually very firm and bright olive green. When ripe, the fruit become soft as a ripe plum and they turn dark green; the aroma is pronounced. Ripen fruit at room temperature, uncovered, out of direct sun; turn frequently. Refrigerate ripe fruit, uncovered, in a single layer on paper-towel lined trays for up 2 days, don't freeze.

To eat fresh, cut feijoas in half and scoop flesh from shell with a spoon. To slice, peel fruit with a sharp knife, then cut crosswise into thin slices. Feijoas darken quickly when cut; to preserve their color, cut surfaces with lemon or lime juice (Eight to 10 feijoas yield 1 cup pulp).

For breakfast, offer feijoa halves ready to eat from the shell, or serve slices with pancakes waffles, or sweet omelets. Slices also good in fruit salads, especially those containing oranges. For dessert
drizzle slices with orange-flavored liqueur and serve with vanilla ice cream or with orange or lemon sherbet or sorbet. Since have the same aromatic, tropical and soft texture as guavas do, you can substitute them for guavas in guava recipes.
Sauteeing: Peel feijoas, then a in halves lengthwise and coat w lemon juice. Saute tender when pierced (about 4 min)

Sporadically avialable from late February through early June for New Zealand fruit; early September through December for California feijoas.

Deamer 5/97