Jan Bilton: Fruit faves - figs and feijoas

Fresh figs are delicious. Photo/Thinkstock

It wasn't until I was in my 20s that I started to appreciate figs. I'd been brought up on the dried variety, which were more like shoe leather than luscious fruit.

Now I am addicted to fresh figs and, thankfully, this year our two young trees have flourished.

Figs are a special treat. I love them as a snack. They also enhance goat's cheese, blue cheese, mozzarella drizzled with pomegranate glaze, thinly sliced duck breast and prosciutto. Add them to Mediterranean-influenced chicken casseroles, drizzle with hollandaise and serve with fish or briefly roast with ham or pork - the versatility of figs is limited only by your imagination.

There are hundreds of varieties of figs, all having in common a soft flesh and a centre of tiny edible seeds. They range in colour from purple-black to almost white and in shape from round to oval. They're extremely perishable and should be used soon after picking.

Feijoas are another one of my faves. However, this year - unlike our figs - our three feijoa trees have packed a sad. Just eight decent-sized feijoas.

Beside their moreish flavour and versatility, feijoas are high in antioxidants, minerals and fibre, a great source of vitamin C and are low in calories. I just scoop them out on to my morning cereal - what better way to kick-start a healthy day?

Feijoas are ripe when slightly soft to the touch and the jellied sections of the freshly cut fruit are clear. If they're white, the fruit is not ripe; if they are greyish or brown, the feijoa is past its best. Firm fruit may need two or three days in a fruit bowl to fully ripen. Once ripe, store feijoas in a plastic bag in the refrigerator to retain the fragrant flavour. The skin of the feijoa is not normally eaten. However, when making jam or relishes there is no need to peel the fruit. Just top and tail and chop the fruit to size.