Fruit: Feijoa
Feijoa, also known as Guavasteen, are the fruits of a small evergreen shrub that originates from the highlands of South America. Our ones are from France, and they’ve also been grown as far north as Scotland. The egg-shaped fruits are ready to eat in autumn. They have a sweet flavour, strangely reminiscent of bubble gum. The flesh is juicy and is divided into a clear jelly-like seed pulp and a firmer, slightly gritty opaque flesh nearer the skin. You can simply cut the feijoa in half length ways and scoop out the flesh with your teeth, or use a spoon. The fruit is usually eaten by cutting it in half, then scooping out the pulp with a spoon. They can also be stewed or even used to make vodka and wine. It’s quite hard to tell when a feijoa is ripe until you’ve cut into it, but you want soft, juicy flesh, not too firm and pale, and not too squidgy and brown.