Being a city girl, living in the heart of a capital city in NSW, not surprisingly I’m one of many who are sheltered from some of the amazing organic produce from country Queensland…until now.
Like the mailman, I must admit I’ve never heard of feijoa until the lovely Julie from the Sunshine Coast Real Food Festival, which will be held on the weekend of 13-14 September 2014 introduced me to it and the delicious organic feijoa jams made by Hinterland Feijoas. Hinterland Feijoas will be featuring their jam at the Sunshine Coast Real Food Festival this year.
If your tastebuds fancy guava and pineapple like mine, you will like feijoa, and feijoa jam. Guava and pineapple just so happen to be my favourite fruits! Throw in the taste of strawberries and undertones of quince, lemon and mint too and you have delicious feijoa.
What are feijoas?
Feijoa is a fruit, sometimes known as ‘pineapple guava’, which originated in the forests of South America and are a fragrant smoothed-skinned green sub-tropical tree fruit that have a creamy sweet jelly centre. How did the fruit get to Australia? I’m not entirely sure but I’m glad they did.
Feijoas are part of the Myrtle family, which includes other fragrant plants such as eucalyptus, all spice, guavas and cloves. It’s a versatile fruit with little wastage, being scooped out and eaten as fresh fruit and in fruit salads, jams and chutneys.
What are its health benefits?
Feijoa are prized around the world as a super-food because they are high in Vitamin C, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. They are amongst the most alkaline foods available and are also a source of potassium and folate.
About Hinterland Feijoa’s orchard
Hinterland Feijoas was founded in 2008 by Peter Heineger and Sally Hookey on their Sunshine Coast hinterland property. Hinterland Feijoas is certified organic (OGA 1416A) and has approximately 750 feijoa trees with 6 varieties planted to give us the longest possible fresh fruit season with early, mid and late fruiting varieties. They use organic biological farming methods and no chemical inputs.
Hinterland Feijoas markets fresh organic fruit in season from late February to early May and a range of gourmet jams and chutneys.
What feijoa jams to try
#1 Feijoa Jam. The original feijoa jam is my favourite. This gluten free product is made from organic feijoa and is deliciously fresh and sweet. Not too sweet like the ordinary supermarket jams. This will go well with toast for breakfast, warm scones for morning tea, cake glaze or alongside cheese. It does taste a lot like guava. When you open the jar the aromatic perfume of the fabulous feijoa is right there wafting from the jar.
#2 Feijoa and Rosella Jam. Rosella is a plant not the loud colourful birds we occasionally see in our city backyards. With both feijoas and rosellas grown on Hinterland Feijoas’ farm this jam combination is devine. Rosellas are a high vitamin C tropical staple food, and give a heart-warming deep red colour and texture to the jam. Both flavours are distinctive and shine through, and this is a condiment for all occasions. Lather it on that old-time favourite the humble pikelet. Try it with roast duck or other roast meat.
#3 Feijoa and Ginger Jam. Hinterland Feijoas’ chunky marmalade style Feijoa and Ginger Jam is full bodied and packed to the rim with of large slices of real organic feijoas and chunks of Buderim ginger (tried these by themselves when I was last on the Sunshine Coast – they’re amazing!). Like most things, feijoa jam can be used to kick-start your morning toast, or added to savoury dishes, especially pork. Imagine pork belly glazed with feijoa and ginger.
Where to get them?
Hinterland Feijoas will be featured at the Sunshine Coast Real Food Festival on 13-14 September so head on over there and visit Sally and Peter.
If you can’t make it and would like to try these amazing organic jam products go to Hinterland Feijoa’s website, order online or look for stockists across the country (information on their website).www.hinterlandfeijoas.com.au
Sally and Peter, thank you for the introducing these wonderful organic feijoa jams from the Sunshine Coast to a NSW city girl. I am certainly enjoying the fruits of your labour with family and friends!
