I have a beautiful feijoa bush tree diagram in my backyard that ’s likely 30 ( or more ) years quondam , and every spring it blossoms with bunch of small ( and surprisingly odoriferous ) pinkish and white edible flowers . In the summer these flowers turn into dull green , egg - shape and egg - sized fruit address feijoas(Acca sellowiana ) .
They ’re native to Brazil and were named after a Lusitanian ( but Brazilian - born ) botanist , João da Silva Feijó . ( And apparently , I ’ve been saying the name wrong these last couple of years . The Brazilian name , feijoa , is pronouncedfay - ZHOE - uh , where the “ zh ” sounds like the “ s ” inpleasure . )
I do n’t see very many feijoa tree diagram ( or fruit , for that matter ) in California , though it ’s a democratic and fertile garden plant in New Zealand where the fruit is widely usable . It ’s also cognise as pineapple - guava or guavasteen , and a bite into the human body prompt me of pineapple , guava , and a bit of Pyrus communis , because the flesh near the peel is slenderly gritty .
Though it seems like you’re able to find feijoa anywhere in New Zealand ( and people rarely pay off for them because they ’ll likely have a neighbor giving away armfuls at a time ) , they ’re less common in California . If you could find a James Leonard Farmer ’ market that carries them , they command a pretty penny … and that little fact take me laugh softly , because from September through November , my feijoa tree diagram drops buckets upon buckets of fruit . pail ! ( This is just from the morning harvest … which mean that by and by in the day , when I head back outside to harvest things for dinner party , I ’ll find another bucket ’s worth expect on the ground for me . )
It ’s impossible to keep up with and last year I compost half of my crop … after eating , canning , preparation and giving away what seemed like 100 of pound of fruit . Granted , the one-half that I did compost were mostly wound or one-half - use up by squirrel ; feijoas drop to the earth once they ’re ripe , and they tend to have delicate pelt despite feeling sway severely .
This year , as feijoa time of year is starting with a vengeance , I ’m determined to put as many of the fruits to use as possible . corrode one or two a day just is n’t go to cut it . I need to handle through pounds and pound of this stuff , and for those of you drowning under feijoa bush trees in your own backyard , this will be the first in a three - part serial . Over the next couple of weeks , I ’ll present to you Feijoa 3 Ways : three soft recipes for ingest those fruits scrumptiously down .
My first , feijoa salsa , is so wide-eyed that I wonder why I did n’t make it preferably . It ’s fresh and zesty , and makes a outstanding dip for chips but an even better topping for fish ( whether you like it steam clean , grill or fried , by itself or in a wetback ) .
I use Vietnamese perilla(tía tô)as the herb in my salsa , which gives the flavor an unbelievable , fragrant kick . Perilla is a penis of the mint category and most commonly used in Asian cookery . It tastes like a cross between batch and basil . you could find oneself it in any Vietnamese / Chinese market , or in a Nipponese market where it ’s called shiso . The leaves are light-green on one side and purple on the other , though some smorgasbord are all unripened or all purple .
While you ’re at the Asiatic securities industry buying a packet of genus Perilla , pick up a package of Thai raspberry ’s centre chilies too ( it will probably take you a while to go through them , but they freeze very well ) . These midget flushed and unripened peppers are the blast behind Thai food . If you ’re not a fan of spicy salsa , reduce the amount in the recipe to just one chile .
you’re able to also stand in cilantro and jalapeño for these two ingredients , but I extremely recommend you try the more “ exotic ” adaptation if you ’re able to source the perilla and chilies !
And by the way , I ended up clear 2 jars of this salsa which used up nearly 30 mature feijoas — or an integral morning ’s harvest . Yes ! ( I ’ll be making enough more . I love this stuff . )
Feijoa Salsa
Makes 1 quart
Ingredients
10 to 15 pineapple guava , peeled and finely diced1/2 reddened onion , diced2 Thai chick ’s eye chiles , minced2 tablespoon chopped Vietnamese perillaJuice from 1 stinker
Making Feijoa Salsa
After peeling and dicing the feijoa , you should have 3 to 3 1/2 cups of yield .
Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl , then decant into your container of choice ( this amount fits perfectly into a quart - sized jolt ) .
I like to allow the salsa posture for a duo of hours to really let the flavors merge together , but you’re able to dig in right away if you wish . The salsa will keep for at least a week or two in the electric refrigerator .
feijoa salsa , is bracing and barmy , and makes a great dip for chip but an even better topping for fish ( whether you like it steam , grilled or fried , by itself or in a taco ) .
Instructions
Notes
you could also interchange coriander plant and jalapeño , , but I highly recommend you taste the more “ exotic ” version if you ’re able to source the perilla and chilies !
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