What is feijoa?

feijoa, or pineapple Guava, is a tropical plant originating in Brazil. It prefers subtropical zones and will suffer from frost damage. Feijoa is often used to produce hedges and screens because it is attractive and relatively fast growing. The fruit is considered a subacid, with a taste similar to pineapple that has sweeter tones of strawberries and Guava. Feijoa is not unusually in American food stores, although larger food producers with a large selection of exotic fruits may have Feijoa in the season, which differs depending on the site.

Bush feijoa grows to approximately 15 feet (five meters) and has a light gray bark with greenish gray elongated leaves. Flowers are very splendid, in chestnut and white and make a surprising and sweet fragrant accessory to landscaping. Bushes, planted closely together and trained, create an excellent screen or wind zones in mild zones. Feijoa prefers a partial sun with protection against extreme heat.

feijoa fruit begins as a green ovate shape coveredSmall white hair. As the fruit ripens, it remains greenish or yellow with a weak red tinge and the hair drops. When Feijoa opens, it reveals white granulated meat and seeds closed pulp. Feijoa fruit also has a rich perfume that begins to emit before it is fully mature.

There are a number of feijoa cultivars, some of which are grown for fruit production, while others are designed for landscaping. The plant is grown across Latin America, as in Australia and in some parts of the United States. In several northern areas of the United States, it is commonly used for landscaping because the plant itself is resistant to frost, but it is not fruit.

Feijoa flowers are also edible, albeit spicy, and are excellent consumed simple, sprinkled on salads or are used as a decoration. The fruit itself should be peeled before consumption and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning.Feijoa is often used to dress fruit salads, cooked in puddings, canned in syrup or fermented into alcohol. Feijoa is also used to produce chuters and tastes, and the syrup extract is commonly used in Latin America to flavor drinks.

Feijoa does not hold well under cooling and lasts about one week before the quality of fruit begins to suffer. When searching for fruit, look evenly colored, unruly samples that should carry a distinctive sweet perfume. If it is selected too early, Feijoa will not ripen well from the tree, so look for relatively soft fruit. If it is exposed to too much heat and moisture, the fruit rotates under the skin, so be sure to ask about handling procedures in your food.