Feijoa 3 Ways: Feijoa-Ginger Preserves (Part III)

My feijoa tree is dropping less and less fruit every day, and I feel the end of the season is near. I managed to gather one last basket full of feijoas last week, which turned out to be the perfect amount for a batch of preserves.

Now I know what you might be thinking… Noooo! I refuse to peel any more fruit! And I hear ya. Spending the day peeling 20 feijoas is no picnic for me either… but I have good news for you! This last recipe in my feijoa series requires absolutely no peeling, at all, whatsoever, period.

That’s especially good news for those tiny feijoas that get neglected on the ground. Most of my late-season fruits fall in this category, and pure laziness on my part means they promptly make their way to the compost since they’re too small to be of any real use. But putting them in my no-peel preserves extends the harvest just a little bit longer, and often in November, I’ll make very small batches (of just two or three jars) and put them in the fridge without processing in a boiling water bath.

If you’ve never tried the flavor extravaganza of feijoa and ginger together, you’re in for a real treat! I use baby ginger in this recipe because I like the fresh and slightly sweeter flavor — bold without being aggressively spicy — not to mention the tender skin means I don’t have to peel the root either. (Another winning point for my lazy side.)

Baby ginger (also called young ginger or spring ginger, though it’s a fall crop) is more easily found in Asian markets or farmers’ markets, and the rhizome is beautiful — smooth and cream-colored with a blush of pink. Unlike regular (mature) ginger, baby ginger has none of that tough outer hide or fibrous center, making it a delight to use in recipes.

Feijoa-Ginger Preserves

Makes 6 half-pints

Ingredients

20 to 25 feijoas
2-inch piece baby ginger
Juice from 1 lemon
4 1/2 tablespoons low-sugar pectin (I use Ball Low/No-Sugar Needed Pectin)
1 1/2 cups sugar

Method

Trim off the blossom end of your feijoas, then dice. I like my preserves to be a tad chunky, but you can dice them as large or as fine as you prefer your fruit to be.

Mince the ginger. If using regular ginger, you may want to peel the root first.

Combine the feijoas, ginger, lemon juice, and pectin in a large, wide saucepan. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Add the sugar and bring the mixture back to a constant boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil hard for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

Funnel the mixture into hot, clean jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean with a damp towel, then seal with lids and rings.

Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, adjusting time for altitude as needed.