Feijoa is exotic for Slavic people, but for residents of the tropics it is a familiar fruit, often eaten. The fruit tree grows in a subtropical climate and is used not only for food, but also for medicinal purposes. If you know the beneficial properties and contraindications of feijoa, you can enrich the body with valuable substances. The population of South America, New Zealand, and Brazil knows this, and they often use the fruit in their diet.

Today, there are more places where feijoa grows. The tree was cultivated in the southern regions of Russia (Krasnodar Territory), Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Australia. Therefore, these healing berries have become more accessible and closer.

What is feijoa? Fruit or berry?

The feijoa fruit is an oblong berry with a smooth, dense green rind. The soft juicy pulp resembles a combination of several fruits: strawberries, kiwi, pineapple. The fruit is edible entirely including the peel, but not everyone likes its taste. You can determine its ripeness by color: if the flesh is white, the fruit is not ripe; if it is brown, then it is overripe. An ideally ripe fruit has a transparent core.

Chemical composition of feijoa fruit

• Microelements and macroelements necessary to maintain immunity and the normal course of all chemical processes in the human body. Feijoa is especially rich in the elements of iodine, necessary to maintain the functions of the thyroid gland, as well as iron, which is involved in the transfer of oxygen, magnesium, potassium, calcium, zinc, and phosphorus.
• B vitamins that support the functioning of the nervous system.
• Vitamins C and A, strengthening the walls of blood vessels.
• Amino acids (arginine, tyrosine, aspartic, glutamic) involved in the formation of proteins in the human body.
• Essential oils and tannins.

Beneficial properties for women and men

For women, the fruit is especially useful during pregnancy, when the body of the expectant mother needs large amounts of iron, folic acid, calcium, and magnesium. All trace elements are contained in feijoa. In addition, for the development of a healthy fetus, a sufficient amount of iodine is necessary, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland and the formation of the child’s nervous system. With its deficiency in the body of a pregnant woman and a newborn baby, congenital hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) can develop. A complication of this disease is dementia. At the same time, the fruit is low-calorie and does not add excess weight to the expectant mother.

For men, feijoa is useful for prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland). Thanks to its healing properties, feijoa fruits can prevent prostate inflammation, which is why they are used to prevent male problems. At the same time, erectile function in men also improves.

Medicinal properties of feijoa

• Replenishes iodine deficiencies in the human body, which is especially necessary for diseases of the thyroid gland to maintain its function.
• Improves the functioning of the nervous system.
• Normalizes sleep.
• Strengthens the immune system. Thanks to the vitamins and microelements it contains, the fruit stimulates the formation of immune cells - leukocytes.
• Fights anemia. Due to the large amount of iron, feijoa is effective for iron deficiency anemia and strengthens the immune system.
• Lowers cholesterol in the blood, so the fruit is useful for people suffering from atherosclerosis.
• Improves the functioning of the digestive tract: the content of an increased amount of plant fiber helps to enhance peristalsis and cleanse the intestines.
• Natural antiseptic. Tree bark, leaves and fruit peel have a disinfectant effect. A decoction of them is used for inflammatory diseases of the mucous membranes - periodontal disease, cuts, inflammation of the kidneys.

Treatment of the thyroid gland with feijoa

Use jam from raw feijoa fruits or puree. You need to take a tablespoon 30 minutes before meals 2-3 times a day. The course of treatment is at least a month. It should be remembered that only ripe fruits are used for medicinal purposes.

An infusion of dried feijoa fruits is also used. To do this, pour 3 tablespoons of fruit into two glasses of boiling water and leave overnight. The next day, drink in 3 doses. Continue this way every day for a month.

Feijoa for diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a disease of the pancreas in which there is a violation of the absorption of glucose by cells. At the same time, the blood sugar level is increased. Violating the diet and consuming foods containing large amounts of sugar aggravates the course of the disease and leads to an even greater increase in blood glucose. Therefore, feijoa is not used to treat diabetes, given the sugar content in its composition, but it is acceptable to consume in minimal quantities.

What else

Feijoa is also used in the treatment of the cardiovascular system. It cleanses the blood of cholesterol, stimulates the formation of blood cells, and prevents the formation of blood clots. Pure juice from feijoa fruits. A tablespoon of juice is mixed with 50 grams of water and taken once a day.

To strengthen the walls of blood vessels, you can use orange jam. To prepare, take a kilogram of feijoa fruit, 2 kilograms of sugar and the juice of two oranges. Make jam and take 1 tablespoon 2 times a day. The combination of a large amount of vitamin C in orange and a complex of microelements and vitamins in feijoa strengthens blood vessels.

The opinions of ordinary people regarding how to eat it, with or without skin, vary significantly. Some complain about the unpleasant taste and density of the shell, while others sing praises to the vitamin and microelement richness of the peel. It is interesting to find out what etiquette dictates and what makes the skin of an exotic fruit so attractive.

Rules of good manners

Feijoa is an exotic fruit, but not scarce. It is used both for preparing salads and as a separate treat. The fruit is served cut into two halves, and you need to eat it with a dessert spoon; you don’t need to eat the peel, it remains on the plate. If feijoa is a component, then the “fruit of passion” is first peeled.

The homemade version of eating feijoa is not so refined, but widespread. Since the fruit's pulp has a jelly-like consistency, it is enough to bite the peel to squeeze the contents into your mouth. This option is suitable if you decide to enjoy fruit in nature.

Beneficial properties of feijoa peel

Half of the lovers of the overseas fruit eat it together with the peel. It is the outer shell of the fruit that is rich in fiber and antioxidants and resists the formation of cancer cells.

The thickness and taste of the peel depends on the place where the fruit grows. Thus, Baku feijoa has the softest and thinnest skin; eating it will not be difficult. But the Crimean varieties are smaller in size, and their skin is hard and bitter.

There are several options for eating feijoa with the skin or the skin itself:

1. Method 1. Grind the fruit with the skin in a blender, add sugar and eat this aromatic and healthy dessert. Keep refrigerated. You can use granulated sugar instead.
2. Method 2. Peel the fruit, eat the middle, dry the shell and add it when brewing tea or infuse it yourself.
3. Method 3. Dry the peel, grind it into powder with a blender and use it as a seasoning for salads or desserts.

Feijoa selection

You can only buy truly ripe and juicy fruit in Crimea or Georgia. Those fruits sold in supermarkets are most likely unripe and hard, but there is a way out. You need to choose a fruit that is evenly colored, without scratches or dark spots, but do not eat it unripe, but leave it for a week until it becomes softer. Preference should be given to larger fruits, about 5 centimeters.

These exotic berries from South America are slowly beginning to gain space in European markets and Asian bazaars. After all, in the homeland of feijoa, entire plantations are devoted to it. And when the harvest is harvested, there is so much of it that it is enough to feed your people and send it for export.

Feijoa is 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 still others find something in common with kiwi. Apparently, because of its appearance, since feijoa really resembles kiwi, albeit in a smaller form and without fibers.

Feijoa has a smooth green skin, which makes many people doubtful when purchasing it. After all, it is very difficult to determine the ripeness of a berry by its appearance without knowing the characteristics of its growth and stages of ripening. But connoisseurs easily choose ripe feijoas from among the mass of green fruits of different sizes.

How to choose the right feijoa

If the feijoa peel has an even green color with a glossy surface on which there are no wrinkles, and the berry itself is dense and strong, then such a fruit is apparently not yet ripe enough. If you cut it in half, there will be white pulp inside, which only happens in unripe fruits. Such feijoas are tasteless, and if a person tries an unripe fruit for the first time, he will decide that they all have the same taste. But you shouldn’t immediately turn away from shelves with unripe berries, because unripe feijoas ripen quite quickly and become ripe after 2-3 days.

And if the fruit is soft, but there are dark spots on the skin, then the feijoa is most likely already overripe. Although some sellers, in order to sell goods that have begun to deteriorate, claim that these stains are nothing more than iodine protruding on the surface. Indeed, feijoa contains a lot of iodine, more than seafood. But this has nothing to do with dark spots on the skin. If you cut such a fruit, you can see brownish pulp inside, which indicates that the feijoa is overripe, which means its taste has deteriorated.

Ripe feijoa has a green skin that has no spots or suspicious dents. The skin may be slightly wrinkled. The fruit itself will be soft to the touch. If you cut it, there will be a jelly-like pulp inside, almost transparent. These feijoas are the most delicious, sweet and aromatic. They are the ones that need to be eaten.

What is prepared from feijoa

Feijoa is a very tender berry. It is not customary to subject it to heat treatment, so it is most often eaten fresh.

Feijoa is delicious on its own, but can be added to salads. And not only in desserts, but also with white meat (chicken, pork) or boneless fish.

But still, most often feijoa is used to make fruit mixes with orange, pineapple, kiwi, apple or other fruits and berries. This fruit goes well with beets and carrots. Feijoa is delicious not only with fruits, but also with nuts.

Jam is made from feijoa, 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 already sweet. This jam is stored in the refrigerator. If you eat it one spoon three times a day, then with the help of this healthy treat you can improve your immunity.

Feijoa is added to ice cream, puddings, biscuits, and soufflés. These berries give baked goods and desserts a pleasant, refreshing taste.

Many people are concerned about the question: do you need to remove the skin? from the berry or can be eaten with it.

If feijoa is added in the salad, then it is cut into circles or cubes along with the peel. But this is the case if the berry is ripe, because the skin has a specific tart taste, especially of an unripe fruit.

For jam feijoa is ground together with the skin. And if the berries are added to pudding or ice cream, the peel is usually removed.

If feijoa is served as a dessert as independent dish, then it is cut in half and eaten with a spoon, scraping out the pulp.

Some people simply bite the top of the berry and suck out the contents. But this is considered not very good form.

Helpful information

• Feijoa is a good preventive remedy for atherosclerosis, problems with the thyroid gland, and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. This berry improves metabolism.
• If it is peeled, the skin is not thrown away. The peel has a specific taste, but if dried, it can serve as an excellent flavoring agent when brewing tea.
• Despite its low calorie content, feijoa should not be carried away due to the large amount of iodine, an excess of which is just as harmful as its deficiency.
• Feijoa cannot be stored for a long time, so they buy it in small quantities. This berry can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a week.
• Despite its exotic origin, feijoa practically does not cause allergic reactions. Therefore, it can be given even to small children. Especially if you have digestive problems.

The dark green feijoa fruit is rather inconspicuous in appearance. It is all the more surprising to feel its exotic aroma, which for some resembles the smell of strawberries, for others - kiwi, and for others - pineapple. The taste of this juicy berry, rich in iodine, is also quite unusual. But how to eat feijoa to get the maximum benefit from it? (Yes, don’t be surprised, in Russian the word “feijoa” is feminine!)

In its purest form

Without a doubt, it is most beneficial to enjoy the fruit of an exotic plant in its raw, so to speak, unprocessed form. Although this is not so exotic: of course, feijoa grows in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and New Zealand, but it is also grown in the Krasnodar Territory, and in the Crimea, and in Abkhazia, and in Georgia, and in Armenia…

The main advantage of feijoa is iodine, which it contains in huge quantities. The highest content of an element valuable for health is found in fruits growing as close as possible to the sea coast. Therefore, in case of thyroid diseases, feijoa should be included in the diet as often as various seafood.

So, how to eat feijoa - with or without peel? If you don’t really like the tart-bitter-sour taste, you can, of course, cut off the top dark green layer with a knife: for example, this is what the Japanese do, who peel even grapes. But the most useful feijoa is with the peel. By eating this fruit, you will get a lot of substances your body needs. In addition to the already mentioned iodine, this includes vitamin C, sucrose, malic acid, pectin, and natural antioxidants. You just need to learn how to choose the most delicious and ripe feijoa.

To do this, give preference to fruits that, when pressed with your fingers, feel like a ripe banana. Make sure that there are no dark spots on the peel: if there are any, the berry is stale and has fewer vitamins. Evenly colored green peel and a sweetish aroma are signs of a high-quality fruit. When buying feijoas at the market, ask to cut one of them in half. The pulp should be light, translucent, gelatinous, jelly-like. If it is white, the berries are not yet ripe; if they are brown, on the contrary, they are overripe and unsuitable for consumption. Unripe fruits ripen well at room temperature.

Wash the berries thoroughly and enjoy their unusual taste and aroma. The feijoa pulp is tender and sweetish, and the peel, as already mentioned, is bitter-tart-spicy with a sour tint. It contains the most iodine and powerful antioxidants that help in the fight against cancer. The black tail is not worth eating.

If you are still not a fan of eating the peel, then the following method will suit you: you need to wash the feijoa, put the fruit on a cutting board, cut it in half and scoop out the pulp from each half with a teaspoon. It’s especially convenient to eat fairly large fruits this way. By the way, the peel can be dried and then brewed along with any type of tea.

You can learn about the difference between large and small feijoa fruits and which ones are more useful in this short video:

Culinary experiments

But you still can’t eat a lot of feijoa in its pure form. Therefore, thrifty housewives prepare ground berries for future use, and also make delicious salads, compotes, jams, jams, sauces, desserts and baking fillings from it. Here are just a few options for how to cook feijoa.

Raw feijoa jam

The easiest way to make a vitamin preparation from feijoa is to wash the fruit (cut off the peel if desired), cut off the tails, grind (or chop with a blender), mix with sugar or honey, put in jars and put in the refrigerator. You can add crushed walnut or hazelnut kernels to the mixture. For 1 kg of feijoa, take 0.7-1.0 kg of granulated sugar. This is a very healthy treat that helps strengthen the immune system.

Feijoa salad with beets

An original and simple recipe.

You will need:

• 150 g feijoa,
• 400 g beets,
• 20 walnut halves,
• 4 tbsp. spoons of any vegetable oil,
• salt.

Preparation:

Boil the beets in their skins, peel and chop. Cut the peeled feijoa fruits into slices. Grind the walnut halves. Mix all ingredients, season with oil and salt.

Feijoa salad with citrus fruits

A dish ideal for cold, stormy weather and cold season.

You will need:

• 200 g chopped feijoa,
• 200 g peeled and chopped tangerines or oranges,
• 1 lemon, peeled and chopped
• 100 g chopped walnuts and hazelnuts,
• 50 g raisins,
• sour cream,
• powdered sugar,
• salt.

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients. Before serving, sprinkle the salad with finely grated orange zest.

So, there is no single recipe for how to eat feijoa correctly. It all depends on appetite and taste preferences. Choose any of the methods you like - and enjoy the exotic taste of this miracle fruit, which will replenish your body's reserves of iodine for the entire period of winter-spring vitamin deficiency.

Feijoa is a berry with an amazing aroma and pleasant taste, which also contains a lot of components that have a positive effect on the human body. Despite the growing popularity of fruits, cooks still cannot decide whether they need to be peeled before eating or using them in the cooking process. In general, it depends on the purpose for which the component is processed and individual preferences. And yet, there are several points by adhering to which you can get maximum benefit and gastronomic pleasure from introducing feijoa into your diet.

First of all, you need to learn how to choose the right berries intended for direct consumption and preparation. Despite the fact that they can be found in supermarkets all year round, it is better to buy feijoas, which will immediately go into food, from the beginning of autumn until the end of winter. It is better to heat treat components purchased at other times first.

In addition, before buying berries you need to pay attention to the following points:

• You should not purchase fruits whose skin is covered with cracks, dents and signs of damage to the integrity of the protective layer.
• Contrary to popular belief, ripe feijoa should not be too dense. The hardness of the texture indicates its immaturity.
• The peel of the ripe component is rich green, closer to dark. The shape can be not only oval, but also round. If the fruits are oval, their length should be 6-10 cm.

Advice: If such an opportunity arises, it is worth purchasing not only the fruits, but also the flower petals of the plant. They are quite edible and can be added to salads, eaten plain, and even fried. They are characterized by a pleasant apple aroma and sweetish taste.

• Cut ripe berries exude an appetizing and pleasant aroma. Its pulp is similar to a dense jelly of a light shade with a slight admixture of yellow. But the presence of brown veins indicates that the feijoa is overripe.
• Dense and not yet fully ripened berries can be brought to the desired state at home. Just lay them out on a horizontal surface, without covering them with anything, and keep them at room temperature for no more than 1-2 days.

It is worth considering that a fresh product begins to lose its unique aroma after just a week in the refrigerator. The fruit also wrinkles, which negatively affects the texture of the pulp and its taste.

In what cases should feijoas be cleaned?

Feijoa skin contains a record amount of useful substances, primarily antioxidants. Therefore, people who like this part of the berry are very lucky. On the other hand, the taste of the element is quite specific, so you shouldn’t torture yourself if you don’t like it. The skin should be removed, minimizing the pulp. We use the jelly-like part for its intended purpose, and dry the skin and add it to tea to increase its benefits and add aroma.

When deciding whether or not to peel a fortified berry, you should take into account the following points:

• If feijoa is consumed in its pure form, you can simply cut off the poles of the fruit and cut the berries into longitudinal slices. If desired, they are sprinkled with sugar. The ground component will make an excellent sweet and sour sauce for ice cream.
• The aromatic fruit often becomes a component of fruit or savory salads. In this case, we again cut it off at the poles and cut it into slices or rings. It is worth considering that pure pulp is not added to salads; the dish with this approach will not look very appetizing.
• But if you grind just the pulp in a blender until smooth, you can get an almost ready-made sauce for meat or fish dishes. It remains to be supplemented with sour cream, vegetable oil or simply spices and heated until warm. You should not bring the composition to a boil; there will be practically no useful components left in it.

• Few people know that feijoa can even be boiled. We cut off the poles of the finished products (if you do this before heat treatment, a lot of juice will flow out) and serve as an addition to rice or a vegetable side dish.
• Peeled berry pulp is used as a filling for pies, pies, and a layer for cakes. Housewives often add it directly to the dough, giving it an unusual sweet and sour taste.
• But it is highly not recommended to clean a component intended to be added to a drink. The blanks with cut poles are boiled, poured with boiling water and infused, crushed and added to tea or lemonade. The product combines perfectly with other components, which allows you to get a wide variety of drinks.

Finally, jam is made from feijoa. Moreover, in this case the component can be used both as a whole and in parts. It doesn’t even have to be heat treated; just cover it with sugar and seal it in a sterile container.