Yummy Feijoa jam

I forgot to mention feijoas in my last blog post – they are a definite positive in a warmer climate.  I keep hoping my Unique feijoa will grow huge and the fruit will ripen before the frosts hit – but unless the climate warms up dramatically, I just can’t see it happening!!

I will just make note of the recipe I used to make the jam I returned home with.  I made it in two lots so the recipe should be halved – it sets quicker doing it this way.

3kg peeled feijoas, one fresh pineapple, 2 cups of water, 1 cup preserved ginger chopped up, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 2kg of sugar, ¼ teaspoons cardamon – cook fruit pulp until soft before adding the sugar – yields approximately 13 small jars.  It’s real yummy!! 

Talking about yummy, I’ve also made a sort of conserve with feijoas in the past.

1kg feijoas, 750g fresh pineapple, one sweet orange using both rind and flesh, 150g crystalised ginger, one cup of water and sugar.  Cook pulp for 30 minutes, then measure pulp allowing ¾ cup of sugar to each cup of pulp, then boil a further 30 minutes until setting point is reached.

It has been great to reconnect with my floral art friends now I’m home again.  This last month we had a workshop ‘Fun with flax’.  I know the garden is improving when I can find foliage for arrangements, even if flowers are lacking at this time of year.  The red dogwood Cornus alba sibirica is getting quite established and it’s good to utilise the red twigs in arrangements.  Note to self - to cut it back in early spring to as low as 8cm to encourage new fresh growth – at the moment it is heading into a tree – I’d like to keep it a little more under control!

Foliage design in a tall tapered container using Yellow wave flax (Phormium), red dogwood twigs, lophomyrtus Red dragon, Pittosporum Elizabeth, conifer and ivy leaves with three Black Prince apples - all from the garden!