First of all, let’s get the pronunciation out of the way: fay-JO-a.
It’s a Pineapple Guava, shaped and sized like a green egg.
Give it a sniff and you might imagine pineapple, papaya, lemon, and maybe even a hint of eucalyptus or pine. When it is ripe (it will “give” to a gentle touch and be very fragrant), cut it in half and scoop out the flesh with a little spoon, or simply squeeze it and suck it out if you aren’t puttin’ on airs. The skin can be tart or bitter, so usually isn’t eaten, although some people like it. If it isn’t quite ripe when you buy it, let it ripen on the counter at room temperature. You may refrigerate it for a week or two once it is ripe.
What do you do with it? Those who have tasted feijoa can get addicted to the beguiling fragrance and deliciously sophisticated sweet taste. Eat it out of hand, in salads, as a flavoring for ice cream or popsicles, or cook it into jam or jelly. Hmmm…I wonder if I could dehydrate them and make chewy feijoa snacks?
These feijoas, sent from Melissa’s Produce [1], the largest distributor of feijoas in the U.S., are grown in California, and sell for about $2.99 a pound.
Give this special fruit a try!