Backyard Bounty: Feijoas

Our favourite recipes for NZ’s most prolific backyard fruit

Let’s be honest, feijoas can be a lot. At this time of year, bagfuls are appearing on the doorstep and fruit bowls are starting to overflow with the fragrant little fellas. While the freezer can soak up some of the excess, another crumble might be too much to face. Here’s a roundup of our favourite things to do with feijoas. 

The feijoa is one of New Zealand’s favourite homegrown fruits, and has come to symbolise a seasonal shift to autumn’s cold, sunny days. For Kiwis abroad it sits alongside icons of home such as Vogel’s bread and Marmite, inspiring nostalgia like no other fruit. For those keen to understand how it reaching icon status on our isles, Kate Evans' globetrotting epic Feijoa: A Story of Obsession & Belonging is a wonderful history.

With a short and abundant season, however, dealing with the glut of fruit requires creativity and a little inspiration.

Try a savoury approach with this delicious Feijoa Kasundi. The tart and fragrant flavours of feijoa make an excellent pickle. For an unusual recipe that’s sure to win over the feijoa haters, this popular Chunky Monkey Feijoa Chutney uses up the skins too.

There are a myriad of baking recipes that use up the smaller and softer fruit, such as a delightfully gooey Upside-Down Feijoa Caramel Cake. Or make the most of the skins to create these subtly tangy Feijoa Skin Muffins The flesh can be scooped out and frozen for future baking ventures.

Feijoa fizz is a tasty drink which is as invigorating as it sounds. The process is super easy and makes for a smooth and reasonably failsafe entry into the world of fermenting.

And don’t forget your smallest visitors: the wild birds! Cut leftover feijoas in half and put them out for hungry tauhou (waxeyes), finches, yellowhammer and sparrows. At this time of year when food sources are becoming more scarce, the birds will be more than happy to clean them up for you. Cut up fruit goes well in the Peka Peka Native Bird Feeder or mix it in with our New Zealand-made Energy Truffles in the Wild Bird Truffle Feeder.