Tararua REAP workshops show how to save surplus fruit

Renee Timmins and Vanette Jacobs watch Andrea Longstaff preparing feijoa fruit for a salsa.

When Tararua REAP staff member Mel Oliver had a large surplus of apples on her property, she began thinking of ways she could share them.

She wanted to teach others ways of preserving the fruit for later in the year when they are in short supply and more expensive in the shops.

A suggestion to former general manager Claire Chapman led to a workshop being organised, with a great response from the public.

That set Mel thinking that if there were other seasonal surpluses more workshops could be run and with feijoas in abundance in May a workshop was advertised, filling up in 24 hours.

This required a lot of preparation, with more cooking stations and equipment acquired.

The Tararua REAP conference room became a kitchen as workshop participants prepared and cooked different feijoa products.

Mel created a recipe book with instructions on how to preserve feijoas, make feijoa jam, chutney, salsa, fizz and ways to dehydrate them for chips and leather (a roll).

Proudly showing their preserved feijoas, Wendy Archer (left), Pam Dais, Jo Dodunski, Amiee Small and Ashlee Macfarlane.

At the first evening workshop participants made all the products except for those requiring dehydration which took too long for the time the course was run.

With positive feedback, another was organised and filled for the end of May.

Participant Pam Dais says the workshop was “just like the olden days” when community women got together to teach and help make preserves for the winter from fruit and vegetables.

She says while it has a practical purpose it also has a social purpose bringing people together.

Mel says her recipes involve using every part of the feijoa.

Jack Martin had both jam and chutney on the go.

For example fruit with skins on makes nutritious jam and chutney and when needing to peel the peelings are kept and made into a fizzy drink which kids love, she says.

Jo Dodunski adds bottled water to her feijoa skins to make fizz.

With winter coming on Tararua REAP is planning more Saving Seasonal Surplus workshops when the surpluses are available throughout the year.

Tararua REAP is also hoping to run a course about creating seasonal surpluses involving seed swapping, growing seedlings, preparing for spring planting and even basic winter wild food foraging.