Productive Wet Weekends - Crabapples and Feijoas



Baset of crabapples and granny smiths



The crabapple season nearly got away from me this year - what with all the wet weather and Easter being later than usual - well that's my excuse anyway!

A reprieve from the rain meant I was able to harvest some very ripe crabapples and a few of the Granny Smith apples which grow on a very old tree in my orchard.  I was a bit unsure of how successful the crabapple jelly would be as the fruit was over ripe but I happened to speak to Raewyn at the Estuary opening the previous day and she told me to add a couple of lemons to the pan during the first stage and to add lots of citrus peel when making the jelly.  A deviation to my recipe but worth a punt given last year's brew just wouldn't set!

Draining the pulp

It was an amazing success and I found that the jelly reached setting point way quicker than ever before - what a time saver!

Then it was onto the feijoas.  I only have a few bushes which I planted a couple of years ago - but they are proliferic producers and some feijoas were the size of oranges!  It was a race between me and the pukekos to harvest the fruit and I think we both got a lion's share.  The last batch was earmarked for Feijoa Chutney - a first for me.  Anna, my mother in law, gave me her favourite recipe - and the preserving pan was back in action.  

Finished produce!

This was another satisfying success and I now have a stack of goodies in my pantry for the family, friends and neighbours.

P.S.  I was out visiting in the weekend and found a crop of feijoas rotting on the ground!  The residents - city dwellers like I used to be - just hadn't had time to do anything with them.  I empathised of course but rescued the fruit and promised to give them some of the chutney when it's done.  And now I get to try another recipe too - so all is good!