How to properly store feijoa

You can buy this “storehouse of vitamins” throughout October-November and say goodbye to it until next fall, but it’s better to know how to store it. This can be done in several ways: fresh or ground with sugar as jam. Moreover, the jam can be “live” or heat-treated. The chosen storage method directly determines how long it will remain fresh and edible.

How to choose

Whatever method of storing feijoa is preferred, it is important to choose the right berry. Because in this case, the degree of ripeness directly affects not only the taste, but also the usefulness. So, when choosing a berry, pay attention to the following points:

External color: dark green, without bright green spots (a sign of unripeness), with a matte, wrinkled surface of the peel (gloss and lack of wrinkles indicate unripe fruit).
Inside color: transparent. The white color of the pulp means that the fruit is not ripe, brown - that it is overripe. Unripe berries can ripen at home, while overripe ones are no longer suitable for food.
Lack of stalk. If it is there, it means that the berry was cut unripe, while it is correct to collect feijoas from the ground when they ripen and fall off on their own.
No dark spots. Their presence indicates that the fruit has been lying around for a long time and is already beginning to deteriorate.

Tip: the large size of a feijoa does not always indicate its maturity. The size depends on the variety.

The average storage period for feijoa after harvest is 10 days.Subtract from it the transportation and packaging time and it turns out that fresh berries can last in the refrigerator for no more than a week. Therefore, it is recommended to use them immediately after purchase, as they say, without putting them off for a long time. And when they run out, buy new ones.

But, as you know, you can’t stock up on vitamins and microelements for future use, and feijoa contains a lot of them. These are B vitamins, vitamin C, PP, as well as iodine, calcium, zinc, magnesium, potassium, sodium. To preserve all this splendor at home for longer than a week, you should use sugar, a natural preservative. The result is a very tasty jam, the recipe for which will be described below.

"Live" jam

The best way to extend the storage time of feijoa at home with minimal vitamin losses is to prepare “live” jam, the recipe for which is incredibly simple. In other words, these are just berries ground with sugar. The recipe is classic, the same as for other berries. Required:

1 kg feijoa;
1 kg sugar.

The amount of sugar can vary from 700 g to 1.5 kg. It all depends on personal taste preferences. The more sugar you sprinkle on the berries, the longer they will last. However, the jam will lose the specific “sour” taste that gourmets love so much.

Preparation:

Wash the feijoa and remove the stems and tails.
Grind the berries using a blender or meat grinder.
Place in an enamel bowl and add sugar. Stir.
Stir the “live” jam from time to time. This should be done as many times as necessary for the sugar crystals to melt.
Thoroughly rinse the jars and lids with baking soda, pour boiling water over them and transfer the prepared “live” jam into them.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 months.

An interesting recipe for “live” jam, prepared not with sugar, but with honey. Honey is also a natural preservative. It is used in “live” delicacies, and not in “boiled” ones, because when cooked, honey loses all its beneficial properties. In addition to honey, you can complement the taste of feijoa with any nuts, except peanuts.

Tip: shelf life depends on the method. Fresh feijoas brought from the south and purchased in a store are stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, “live” jam is kept in a cold, dark place (refrigerator) for up to 3 months, heat-treated jam is stored in a dark place for up to 1 year.

"Boiled" jam

Strawberries, kiwi, banana and even gooseberries - this is how many try to explain in words what feijoa tastes like. It is for this reason that they love the exotic berry and try to preserve this delicacy for as long as possible. If the issue comes down to the shelf life, then in order to increase it correctly, you should use heat treatment. Of course, many beneficial substances will be lost when exposed to high temperatures, but the shelf life will increase to 12 months.

Below is a classic recipe that allows you to prepare the most common “boiled” jam, preserving the true taste of feijoa. In addition to the classic one, there is more than one recipe containing various additives in the ingredients. The taste is quite interesting. Supplements may include:

lemon juice;
orange with peel;
ginger root;
pear;
cranberry.

So, the classic recipe for feijoa jam. Required:

1 kg feijoa;
1 kg sugar;
1 glass of water.

Preparation:

Wash the feijoa and remove the stems and tails.
Grind the berries using a blender or meat grinder.
Pour water into an enamel bowl and place on the stove, let it boil.
Dissolve sugar in water.
Transfer the berry puree into a saucepan with water with sugar dissolved in it. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
Let the mixture of berries and sugar boil, wait 7-10 minutes and turn off the stove. During cooking, foam will form on the surface. It should be removed.
While the jam is cooking, you can prepare the jars. They should be thoroughly washed with baking soda and sterilized.
As soon as the jam is ready, it needs to be poured into jars and rolled up.
Boiled jam should be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 12 months.

Feijoa is a tasty and healthy product that you want to eat not only during the season, but also during the winter. Therefore, it is worth learning how to store it correctly. The recipe for preservation by boiling with sugar will allow you to prepare aromatic jam, and the recipe for a “live” delicacy will preserve its beneficial properties for a long time.