A Guide to Kiwifruit, with Tips, Ideas & Recipes

Here’s a quick guide to kiwifruit (also known as Chinese Gooseberry), an easy-to-love fruit that’s good in both sweet and savory preparations, or enjoyed on its own. You’ll find tips on buying and prepping, with simple ideas plus links to lots of plant-based recipes.

The following information and tips are adapted from Melissa’s Great Book of Produce by Cathy Thomas, reprinted with permission of Melissa’s Produce.

Beneath the deceptive, fuzzy brown skin, a delicate, sweet-tart treasure awaits. The interior of kiwifruit is filled with color: bright lime green or brilliant gold flesh is speckled with a ring of tiny edible black seeds that surround a soft, yellowish-white core.

Where did kiwi it come from? Native to China, kiwis were called Chinese gooseberries by Westerners until New Zealand developed their commercial production and renamed them after their fuzzy national bird.

What does kiwi taste like? The oblong-shaped fruit is juicy and tender, a pleasing blend of strawberry, pineapple, and sweet ripe melon. And although the flesh is soft, it is firm enough to hold up to slicing.

Standard green or gold kiwis are about 2 to 3 inches long, while the baby variety are only about an inch long and have green flesh. Gold kiwi have smoother skin and a milder, more honeyed flavor profile than green kiwi. Babies are fuzz-less and eaten whole, unpeeled. They are eaten slightly firmer than larger kiwi.

Add kiwifruit to any kind of fruit salad

BUYING AND STORING KIWIFRUIT

Look for fruit with unbroken skin that gives slightly to gentle pressure and has a fragrant scent; avoid mushy and soft kiwi. If necessary, ripen at room temperature 2 to 3 days, until fruit gives to gentle pressure.

Ripening time can be shortened by placing in loosely sealed paper bag with an apple, banana, or pear at room temperature. Refrigerate ripe kiwi (unwashed and unpeeled) in crisper drawer 3 to 5 days.

Melissa’s Produce is a good source for several varieties of kiwifruit (and every type of produce under the sun).

KIWIFRUIT NUTRITION NOTES

Kiwifruit is a good source of Vitamin C, K, fiber, folate, potassium, and several antioxidants. See a complete nutrition profile of kiwifruit.

Kiwi is a great addition to savory salads

SEASONALITY OF KIWIFRUIT

BABY KIWIFRUIT
Domestic: September–October
Global: January–February

GREEN KIWIFRUIT
Domestic: October–March
Global: March–October

GOLD KIWIFRUIT
Domestic: none
Global: June–November

PREPPING KIWIFRUIT

Wash with cold water. Kiwi skin is almost paper thin (except on very large fruit) and can be eaten. But when fuzzy, the skin can be unappealing to some. To peel, cut off ends, then use paring knife or vegetable peeler to remove skin, or cut in half lengthwise and scoop out flesh with spoon. Baby kiwi are generally eaten whole, like grapes.

EASY USES FOR KIWIFRUIT & RECIPES

Thanks to the talented bloggers who participated in this roundup for permission to link to reprint their photos.

Great as is: Kiwifruit is perfect eaten raw, simply peeled and sliced, as a snack.

Pastry and ice cream garnish: Use it, peeled and sliced, as garnish on tarts, cakes, and sundaes.

Smoothie Bowls: If you’d like an intensely green smoothie bowl, add some kiwi to the mix. Here’s an Easy Kiwi Smoothie Bowl from Smoothies ‘n Cookies.

Sorbet: With its light and lilting flavor, kiwi makes a great basis for sorbet. Here’s Ninja Creami Kiwi Sorbet from I Dream of Ice Cream.

Fruit salads: Include it, peeled and sliced or diced, in fruit salads. Combine it with tropical fruits for an exotic treat! Embellish any kind of medley, like the Easy Fruit Salad (The Forked Spoon), above.

Savory salads: Add kiwi to add a surprising flavor element to savory salads, too. Kiwi Salad with Tomato and Avocado from Salted Plains bursts with flavors and textures.

Salsa: Peeled and diced, kiwifruit add a lively element to salsas for dipping and as a topping for Mexican and southwestern tortilla specialties. Try our Kiwi Salsa with Avocado and Pomegranate.

Another salsa to try:
Zesty Kiwi Jalapeño Salsa from Ann’s Entitled Life.

Fruit Preserves: Truly offbeat, this is a fantastic way to use a surplus of kiwifruit. Easy Kiwi Fruit Preserves (Ann’s Entitled Life) utilizes two pounds of them.

Kiwifruit Beverages

Juices: Add one or two peeled fruits to your green juices. Kiwi blends well with apples, spinach, cucumber, and/or lettuce. Green Apple, Kiwi, and Spinach Juice (Good Life Eats) is a feast of green goodness.