These exotic berries from South America are slowly beginning to conquer space in European markets and Asian bazaars. After all, in the homeland of feijoa, entire plantations are occupied under it. And when harvesting it so much that enough and feed his people, and send for export.
Feijoa - a truly unique berry. No matter how many people try it, everyone finds similarities with different fruits. Some people think that it tastes like pineapple, others associate it with strawberries, and others find something in common with kiwi. Apparently, because of the appearance, as feijoa really resembles kiwi, however, in a reduced form and without lint.
Feijoa has a smooth green peel, which, when bought by many people, puts in doubt. After all, it is very difficult to determine by appearance the ripeness of a berry, not knowing the characteristics of its growth and the stages of ripening. But experts can easily choose among the mass of green fruits, and of different sizes, namely ripe feijoa.
How to choose feijoa correctly
If the feijoa peel is of a smooth green color with a glossy surface on which there are no wrinkles, and the berry itself is dense and strong, then such a fruit, apparently, has not yet matured. If it is cut in half, then inside will be white flesh, which happens only in unripe fruits. Such feijoa are tasteless, and if a person first tries an unripe fruit, he will decide that they are all with such taste. But you should not immediately turn away from the stalls with unripe berries, because unripe feijoa ripen quickly enough and after 2-3 days they become ripe. And if the fruit is soft, but there are dark spots on the skin, then this feijoa, most likely, has already overslept. Although some sellers, in order to sell the goods that began to deteriorate, argue that these stains are nothing but iodine, acting on the surface. Indeed, in feijoa a lot of iodine, and more than in seafood. But this has nothing to do with dark spots on the peel. If you cut such a fruit, inside you can see the brownish flesh, which suggests that the feijoa is overripe, which means that its taste has deteriorated.
Ripe feijoa has a green skin, on which there are no spots, suspicious dents. The skin may be slightly shriveled. The fruit itself will be soft to the touch. If it is cut, the jellylike flesh will appear inside, almost transparent. It is such feijoa the most delicious, sweet and fragrant. They need something to eat.
What is prepared from feijoa
Feijoa - berry is very delicate. It is not accepted to be subjected to heat treatment, so most often it is eaten fresh.
Feijoa is tasty by itself, but it can be added to salads. And not only in the dessert, but with white meat (chicken, pork) or fish without bones.
But still, fruit mixes with orange, pineapple, kiwi, apple or other fruits and berries are most often made from feijoa. This fruit is combined with beets and carrots. Feijoa is tasty not only with fruits, but also with nuts. Feijoa is made into jam, but it is not boiled, but ground with sugar in a 1: 1 ratio. Although some consider it unnecessary to add such an amount of sugar, because these berries are so sweet. This jam is stored in the refrigerator. If you eat it one spoon three times a day, you can improve your immunity with this useful delicacy.
Feijoa is added to ice cream, puddings, biscuits, souffles. These berries give baking and desserts a pleasantly refreshing taste.
How to eat feijoa
Many people are worried about the question: is it necessary to remove the skin from a berry or you can eat along with it.
If feijoa add to the salad, then it is cut into slices or cubes with the peel. But this is if the berry is ripe, because the peel has a specific tart taste, especially in unripe fruit.
For jam, feijoa is ground with the skin. And if the berries are added to pudding or ice cream, then the peel is usually peeled off.
If feijoa is served as a dessert as an independent dish, then it is cut in half and eaten with a spoon, scraping the flesh.
Some simply bite the top of the berry and suck the contents out. But this is considered not very good form.
Helpful Information
- Feijoa is a good prophylactic for atherosclerosis, problems with the thyroid gland, and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. This berry improves metabolism.
- If it is cleaned, the skin is not thrown away. The peel has a specific taste, but if it is dried, then it can serve as a great flavoring when brewing tea.
- Despite the low calorie content, feijoa cannot be carried away because of the large amount of iodine, the excess of which is just as harmful as its deficiency.
- Feijoa is not subject to long storage, therefore buy it in small quantities. In the fridge to store this berry can be no more than a week.
- Despite its exotic origin, feijoa almost does not cause allergic reactions. Therefore, it can be given even to small children. Especially if there are problems with digestion.
