Feijoa season is short but sweet. Turn to these recipes to make the most of your bounty.
Science and nature journalist Kate Evans, who quite literally wrote the book on feijoas, characterises the fruit’s brief but plentiful season as one of “profligate generosity”. The author spotlights the sharing of
“Others leave laden wheelbarrows parked outside their houses, with handwritten signs reading ‘help yourself’ propped up among the bounty.”
After much anticipation, plump and ripe feijoas are dropping from their trees. As the season progresses, and the stocks are eagerly foraged and gifted, we’ll quickly find ourselves the owners of overwhelming hauls.
These recipes, which revel in the sweet and floral flavours of the fruit, will ensure that nothing goes to waste. Poached and roasted feijoas enhance warm breakfast servings, while caramelising crumbles serve the syrupy fruit with sweet icecream.
This glossy and golden jelly will encapsulate the fruity flavours for this season and beyond. Feijoas in the summer? A dream!
Slow-roasted feijoas with star anise
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.Try batch-cooking these spiced feijoas and adding them to your breakfasts and desserts.
If you can’t find any end-of-season peaches, you could reach for canned instead. Add a little syrup for more decadence.
Feijoa, almond essence and lemon zest provide rich flavour for the filling of this tart. A topping of sliced almonds also lends a nice crunch.
Top a tower of pillowy French toast with fruit, chopped pistachio and creamy mascarpone.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
With its buttery topping, this dessert is best served with cream or custard. You could also portion into individual ramekins for a crowded dinner party.
This crispy and nutty shortbread encases a rich ricotta filling, with delicate notes of lemon zest and feijoa pulp.
This puff pastry dessert is tinged with cinnamon and sherry and finished with a sprinkle of icing sugar.
Serve this gooey feijoa cake warm, and complement the floral flavours with hearty scoops of vanilla icecream.
Pair your pears, another autumnal offering, with ripe feijoas for this chutney. Serve with your favourite savoury pastry.
Make breakfast a breeze with this overnight pudding, which is sweetened with honey and blueberries.
These mini cakes are an ideal accompaniment to a warming beverage (think coffee, milky tea or a hot chocolate).
These wholesome waffles benefit from the toasty flavours of ginger and cinnamon. Add chopped nuts for textural contrast.
This simple filo pastry dessert is moreish and crunchy. Its complex flavour comes from a mix of vanilla, pistachio and lemon juice.
This tall buttermilk cake has a wonderful visual contrast, between melty blueberries and golden batter. Serve with tangy yoghurt and a little maple syrup.
This sturdy stack of pancakes provides a tasty base for peak-season feijoas. Bookmark this recipe as a brunch-time staple.
Pan-frying feijoas draws even more sweetness from the fruit. Kiwi berries are a cute addition to this porridge dish too (though you could swap for your preferred frozen berry).
This golden pastry is super-crisp and deceptively easy to prepare. If you get creative in your initial arrangement of the feijoas, you’ll be rewarded with a picture-perfect dessert.
You and your guests will wrestle for a corner piece of this cake, as the edges are extra caramelised and crunchy.
These sweet muffins are lunch-box friendly. After feijoa season ends, Angela Casley suggests swapping the fruit for pear or rhubarb.
Cakey, syrupy and intensely aromatic – this dessert makes the summer farewell seem sweet.
