Kiwifruit, also known as kiwis, might look a little different and have a little bit of a different texture than other fruit, but that doesn’t make them any less delicious or any less nutritious! Did you know that kiwis even have more vitamin C than oranges?! Kiwis are climacteric fruit, which allows them to be harvested unripe (but having reached a certain maturity stage), shipped hard to help avoid any injuries during transport, and then can ripen on the produce display or at home on your counter! This post is all about how to select and store kiwis (both green and golden) in order to be able to enjoy them to their fullest.
(This post is an excerpt from The Produce Nerd’s Grocery Guide. You can learn more about the Grocery Guide, which covers this information for 55 different produce items, with input from 26 crop-specific companies HERE.)
What to look for when picking the best quality kiwis?
- I would suggest picking kiwis that are still a little firm to the touch. If you select it when it is soft, then you have a very limited shelf-life once you bring it home.
Common issues to avoid when selecting kiwis?
- Bruising
- Decay (check the ends and any wounds to see if any growth has started)
- Overripe fruit (that is too soft)
Are there any common issues that are specifically caused by bad grocery store handling?
- Kiwis are commonly bulk packed into plastic clamshells. When purchasing these, you want to make sure and inspect the fruit inside to make sure there is no pathogen growth. If there is and/or if any of the surrounding clamshells have any pathogen growth, it is likely that the clamshell you are interested in purchasing will have some too.
Are there any new cultivars that are being grown that might have different quality indicators or common issues to look out for?
- Golden kiwis have to be one of my favorite new fruits that I have tried recently! With that said, though, you would select them the same from the grocery store. You want to buy them still firm and then ripen them on the counter at home. However, with kiwis, they are still good if they are still on the harder side.
What is the best way to store kiwis at home?
- Store them on the counter to ripen, and then move them to the refrigerator once they have reached the desired ripeness (softness).
- Be careful not to store them in your refrigerator for too long or they can get chilling damage and start to look watery on the inside and taste a bit fermented.
- I always only cut open kiwis right before I plan on eating them. They do not do well fresh-cut in the fridge, even when stored in an airtight container.
How to ripen kiwis faster?
- If you want your kiwis to ripen faster, just set them next to other climacteric fruit (the fruit that continues ripening after harvest and is constantly emitting ethylene gas) on the counter. Some examples include bananas, pears, peaches, nectarines, other kiwis, avocados, and apples (although you will want to keep those in the fridge to extend their storage life).
What is your favorite way to eat and prepare kiwis?
- Cut up in a fruit bowl! I like to mix both green and golden kiwis in my fruit bowls with other fruit, such as blackberries, bananas and strawberries.
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