Getting more value from your fruit.

Fruit skins contain many nutrients and flavours and are often wasted. The skins of feijoas and citrus can however be turned into delicious foods.
While many do, I don’t like eating the skins of feijoa, so just scoop out the heavenly centre of the fruit. Don’t throw the skins away, set them aside to make a type of weak beer that is absolutely delicious. If you can’t use them straight away, freeze them till you have enough.

Feijoa Beer:

• 1 Litre of Feijoa skins (adjust to fit what size jar you have)
• 3 Tablespoon of sugar (any type of sugar)
• 1 Litre of filtered or boiled water (cooled)

You can also add spices like Cardamon, Cinnamon, Allspice, Cloves, Ginger, but I don’t)

If the feijoas are store bought, rinse the skins in cold water but do not wash thoroughly as the natural oils help the ferment. From my own trees, I don’t rinse them.

1. Fill a 1 Litre sterilized jar with loosely packed feijoa skins, if you have extra you can freeze until you have enough to do another batch.
2. Add half the sugar to the jar and pour over the filtered water. Place a small jar inside the jar mouth to press fruit down (if any fruit is exposed to air and becomes mouldy you will need to discard the batch), cover with a clean cotton tea towel or napkin and tie with string or secure with a rubber band. I use the lid of the jar, loosely screwed on. Leave for 2-3 days up to a week in a warm place like on top of the hot water system, the longer you leave it, the higher the alcohol content.
3. Strain the liquid into sterilised plastic beer bottles (preferred) or other pressure rated bottles to about three quarters full. Add a teaspoon of sugar to each bottle. Seal and place back in the warm place. Leave 2 or 3 days but check the bottles daily after that for pressure. As soon as they are hard, refrigerate. If you want more sour, more alcohol, release the pressure slowly (it fizzes a lot), seal and return till hard again.