Kiwifruit
September 9th, 2008 | by Ingrid
A close look at the inside of a green kiwifruit, isn’t it stunning…
… and the golden kiwifruit is just as gorgeous.
Photography from WikiMedia Commons
… and look, another intriguing kiwifruit! This one is new to me and I’ll definitely be on the look out for this gem. Have you heard of red kiwifruit?
If a green and a golden kiwifruit were side-by-side, would you be able to distinguish the two? It is easy to tell them apart, see the photo above to help illustrate the difference. The green kiwifruit is fuzzier and symmetrically oval and wider while the golden kiwifruit has smoother skin, an elongated oval, or teardrop shaped, with a pointed nub on one end.
They both have their own delicious flavor. Golden kiwifruit is much sweeter and softer in texture in comparison to the green kiwifruit, which is tart with a firmer texture.
Varieties of Kiwifruit
Hayward is the most common kiwifruit variety found in the produce section and grown in backyard gardens. Here is a list of various varieties of kiwifruit.
Abbott
Allison
Dexter
Elmwood
Hardy
Hayward
Jenny
Monty
Silvervine
Tewi
Vincent
… and the list goes on.
Nutritional Profile and Benefits of Kiwifruit
The whole kiwifruit, skin included, is a treasure trove of nutrients, fiber, antioxidants, and contains the following vitamins and minerals:
Copper | Dietary Fiber | Magnesium | Manganese | Potassium | Vitamin A | Vitamin C | Vitamin E
Kiwifruit is an amazing health promoter that benefits the heart, eyes, colon, and contributes to our health in many other wonderful ways.
Selecting and Storing Kiwifruit
Select unblemished kiwifruit that is firm to the touch. Test its ripeness by holding the fruit between your thumb and forefinger and give it a light squeeze, it should yield to the pressure.
Store kiwifruits at room temperature anywhere from 2 days to a week. For prolonged storage, keep in the refrigerator. To soften or speed up ripening, place kiwifruits in a bag with an apple, banana, pear, or other ethylene-producing fruits for about a week or until ripened.
Freezing Kiwifruit
Here are three ways to freeze kiwi for later use.
1) The whole kiwifruit can be frozen, but first you’ll want to remove the fuzzy hair by rubbing it off. Remove the kiwifruit from the freezer and peel the skin while the fruit is still frozen.
2) Slice the kiwifruit to desired thickness, arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and freeze. Once frozen, place slices in an airtight freezer friendly container. Remove the amount of slices you need, allow to thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
3) Puree the kiwifruit along with 1 tablespoon each of agave and fresh lemon juice, in a blender. Pour the fruit puree through a large sieve to remove any seeds, pour the strained puree into a freezer friendly container, and freeze. This is an excellent way to store kiwi puree for later use in making drinks, desserts or fruit sauces.
Remember to date and label those containers.
Serving Suggestions
One of the simplest ways to enjoy kiwifruit is to cut it in half and scoop out the delicious pulp with a spoon. If you plan to do a little more with it, there are a number of ways to prepare this wonderful fruit.
Anyway you chop, dice, quarter, or slice it, kiwifruit is delicious. Remember the entire fruit is edible, so if you want the maximum nutritional benefits, rinse it and bite in. You may find the golden kiwifruit more palatable than the green because it has far less fuzzy hair, if any at all. If you like green kiwifruit but aren’t keen on the fuzz, simply rub it off and enjoy.
You can prepare kiwi in any number of ways, either as a sweet treat or in a savory dish. I love the idea of making kiwi into a savory dish so I’ll be experimenting in the kitchen. I hope to have a new and tasty recipe to share in my next post but until then, eat your kiwifruit.
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6 Responses to “Kiwifruit”
By Karmalily on Sep 9, 2008 | Reply
Great post. I’ve always loved kiwi, but it wasn’t until this summer that I had my first golden kiwi. They still taste like a kiwi, but they have a slightly pleasant-er flavor. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for the red kiwi fruit.
Thank you Karmalily - My first taste of golden kiwi was this summer too. I like both the golden and green kiwifruits and can’t wait to try red kiwi. Kiwifruit season has begun (something I neglected to mention in this post) so I am hoping I’ll be lucky, real soon, and find red kiwi.
By Michelle @ What Does Your Body Good? on Sep 10, 2008 | Reply
I didn’t know you could eat kiwi skin! Not sure about the fuzzies but I’ll try it. I love kiwis lately! My only reservation is buying kiwis, even organic, because the ones I see are all imported from New Zealand! Talk about not eating locally.
I hear ya Michelle - Here in California kiwifruit grows successfully, however, every time I buy organic kiwi it has that little New Zealand sticker on it. Could there be some sort of kiwi monopoly going on? Maybe I need to put more effort into finding California grown kiwis.
Awhile back I read that the whole kiwifruit, skin and all, is edible and tried it. I bit into a green kiwi, it wasn’t horrible, but I wasn’t thrilled with the fuzzy hair. At that time, I didn’t realize I could rub off the fuzzy stuff. If you can find golden kiwi, it has basically no hair at all, so you might find that more appealing. I applaud you for your adventurous spirit. When and if you try biting into the whole kiwifruit, I’d be interested to know your verdict.
By Pietra on Sep 10, 2008 | Reply
I grow Hardy Kiwi here in Oregon. We love it!
Hi Pietra - That’s great! I’ve read that growing kiwi is fairly easy, similar to growing grapes, and it’s a disease resistant plant too. I’m considering planting it.
By Isle Dance on Sep 10, 2008 | Reply
You! Have! Outdone! Yourself! Again!
Hi Isle Dance - … and thanks.
By Luke on Sep 11, 2008 | Reply
My family grows organic Kiwifruit here in New Zealand. It is irksome to farmers of all stripes here when people presume that because food has come from NZ, the carbon footprint on it must be big. I haven’t read any comparisons with California, but produce that goes from New Zealand to Europe produces far less harmful emission than European-grown produce even with the transportation thrown in.
Kiwifruit vines are easy to grow. Leave them for a year and they will be a tangled nuisance in your garden. They require quite a lot of maintenance to produce good fruit and an aesthetically pleasing plant. Then again, probably not a lot more than grape vines.
I haven’t tried the red fruit either. I’m looking forward to it.
Hi Luke - Thank you for sharing your feelings and the information on growing kiwi. I’m truly considering trying my hand at growing it. My husband has experience growing grapes and that experience should come in handy since growing kiwifruit is similar to growing grapes. If there is further information you think might be of help, I would be happy and appreciate hearing from you (someone who knows a thing or two about growing kiwifruit first hand). Please leave a comment here or email me at love@gmail.com.
By Craig on Sep 14, 2008 | Reply
I learn more and more fun food facts and information from your write-ups. Only one thing, I’m game on trying almost anything related to good food but, I’m not game on biting into one of those very hairy kiwis.
Craig - About hairy green kiwifruit, I’ve bought some that when rubbed the hair comes off easy, then there are some kiwifruits with hair so thick there is no choice but the peel it.