All About Kiwi

Kiwifruit is a botanical berry, with soft, sweet green (sometimes golden) fruit. Kiwi’s flavor is often described as a cross between strawberry and mango, with a hint of pineapple. The skin is edible, but doesn’t offer much flavor. Only a slightly fuzzy, thin, papery texture. A cluster of chialike seeds are suspended in the center of the fruit, giving the sweet fruit a faint, nutty crunch.

Botanically known as Actinidia deliciosa kiwis are considered berries. They have paper-thin, tan skin covered in a delicate fuzz. Inside, the flesh is typically a bright, emerald or lime green with a yellowish center that’s surrounded by tiny, round black seeds. Sometimes the flesh can be a sunny yellow or gold color for specialty varieties, with the same black seeds and brown peel.

Kiwifruits look a lot like cylindrical eggs with brown peach fuzz, so it’s hard to tell if they’re ripe just by taking a look. To tell if a kiwi is perfectly ripe, hold it in your hand and it should feel a bit heavy for its size. Then, the fruit should yield slightly to gentle pressure from your thumb. If the kiwi’s flesh is still hard, don’t cut it open! Give it another day or two to ripen - you’ll be happy you did!

Kiwi is a popular snacking fruit that you can eat whole, skin and all! Many fruit fans prefer to pare away kiwi’s fuzzy peel, but it’s perfectly safe to eat. Eat them out of hand like apples, or enjoy raw slices over yogurt, oatmeal or granola or tossed into fruit and veggie salads. Kiwi dazzles in fruity tarts, jams, candies, frozen treats, cheese plates and salsas. This is one fruit kids and adults will love to eat!

Kiwi, also known as kiwifruit and Chinese gooseberry, is native to China and grows on woody, vining branches. Today it is cultivated in New Zealand, parts of western Europe and the United States. Kiwi season is fairly long in the United States, beginning around October and lasting through May. November is generally considered peak season for kiwi.

Over at FruitStand, we say kiwi and kiwifruit interchangeably. Why two names? Legend has it that back in the 1960’s, New Zealand became a big exporter of the fruit. It was introduced as “kiwifruit”, later shortened to just kiwi, rather than Chinese gooseberry, as the fruit arrived in places like the United States and Britain.

Kiwi, also known as kiwifruit and Chinese gooseberry, is native to China and grows on woody, vining branches. Today it is cultivated in New Zealand, parts of western Europe and the United States.

Kiwi season is fairly long in the United States, beginning around October and lasting through May. November is generally considered peak season for kiwi.

Whether a kiwi harvest is certified organic or not will depend on the farm where it was grown. At FruitStand, we only partner with the best specialty farms for exceptional quality of produce. When each harvest is available, we'll tell you whether the fruit is considered organic or conventional.

If you’ve ever wondered where to buy kiwi, we’ve got great news for you! FruitStand is proud to partner with small, specialty farmers to bring you exceptional quality kiwi. To be the first to know when FruitStand is shipping kiwi harvests, join our email newsletter!

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