Chilean Guavas…

…also known here as New Zealand Cranberries, which is wrong on both counts. They are not native to NZ and they are not members of the cranberry family. It is an example of Kiwis trying to claim ownership of stuff - like Kiwifruit which come from China originally.

Chilean Guavas are simply delicious. Despite being the size of a pea, when you bite into a ripe one it fills your mouth with a blast of sweet fragrant flavour. 

Bean was very doubtful when I held out a tiny red Berry for her, but when I squished it she got the idea and wasn’t at all hesitant when I gave her another. She nipped it in two between her front teeth.

I have a row of small bushes which will one day become a hedge. Or at least that’s the plan. They have struggled a bit, so one of my winter tasks is to deep weed all along the row, create a low raised bed as a barrier to weed regrowth, and then give them oodles of compost.

As it is even though they’re not thriving as I would wish, I picked 600g of berries this afternoon. I made them into three jars of jam, which is too good for bartering. There will be another 150g or so of the berries to pick in a few days, which I’ll use in a batch of muffins.

Friends A and J are in Chchch this evening, where among other things they are having a meal at Corianders Restaurant…our favourite Indian. They are getting a takeaway for me, to bring home with them tomorrow. What a treat.