Kiwi FAQs

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.

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.

Kiwis are botanical berries that 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!

Preparing kiwifruits is very easy! If you’re hungry, you can eat the entire fruit out of hand, skin and all. Otherwise, some kiwi fans like to peel away the fuzzy skin before eating it. Kiwi can be sliced, juiced, blended and cooked for many raw and cooked applications. To do a basic preparation of a kiwi, use a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife to carefully remove the papery brown skin. Then, cut the fruit int ¼ inch rounds and serve.

Yes! Those tiny, round seeds in the center of kiwifruit are completely edible. They add an almost imperceptible crunchy texture to the soft, juicy fruit.

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.

These small fruits pack in a lot of nutrition. Known for their high vitamins C and E, potassium, fiber and even folate, kiwis are almost as nutritious as they are juicy and delicious. To read more information about kiwi nutrition facts, visit the USDA website.

Kiwi Nutrition (1 kiwifruit, 75g).

• Calories: 44
• Protien: 1g
• Carbohydrates: 11g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 7g
• Calcium: 26mg
• Magnesium: 12mg
• Phosphorus: 26mg
• Potassium: 148mg
• Sodium: 4g

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

Kiwi is a versatile fruit that brings fresh, tart sweetness and vibrant green color to all kinds of food and beverage recipes. Use raw or prepared kiwi in recipes that will benefit from bright, berrylike flavor and acidic notes.

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.

Kiwi is a popular snacking fruit that you can eat whole, skin and all! Many fruit fans prefer to pare away kiwi’s fuzzy skin, 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!

The sweet, strawberry-mango taste of fresh kiwifruit brings juicy, tropical acidity to drinks. Feed the fruit into your electric juicer to wake up your favorite fresh juice drinks. Finely dice it in homemade teas and enhanced water for a twist on your everyday beverages. Add fresh or frozen slices to fruit smoothies and shakes for natural sweetness and added nutrition. To make delicious alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, use your kiwifruits to make a basic syrup to stir into drinks. This is one fruit kids and adults will love to sip!

The best way to keep kiwi fresh for the longest is to store them in the refrigerator in a sealed container. They can stay fresh in the fridge for almost four weeks this way. Cut and leftover kiwi can be refrigerated in a container for about three days.

If you leave kiwi to ripen on the countertop, it’s best to keep them away from other fruits. Their ethylene mojo can pick up the ripening pace for other fruits around them like apples and bananas. Kiwi can be left on the countertop for three to four days.

Freeze fresh kiwifruit whole or sliced, on a cookie sheet with space between each piece. Once frozen, store the fruit in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

Yes! Dogs can eat kiwifruit. Be mindful about what your particular dog can handle, as kiwi contains lots of tiny seeds in the center. Don’t feed whole kiwifruits, and offer your pup appropriately sized slices as a high value treat!

Over at FruitStand, we love sharing fruit with our wet-nosed friends, so we encourage you to clear the safety of any new fruits or veggies with your veterinarian before offering them your pooch.

Kiwi’s emerald green or bright yellow fruit could leave a stain on certain fabrics. Suit up with your favorite fruit smock before diving into very ripe kiwifruits! Fruit Geek 101: Keep a portable stain stick on hand for impromptu fruit feasts. Quickly treating a fruit juice spot could help avoid a stain.

Kiwis can be wonderfully juicy. If kiwifruit gets on your clothing, table cloth or napkins, first treat the spot with a stain remover that’s safe for that particular fabric. Follow the directions on the product to prevent the spot from setting, and pop the item into the washer as soon as you can.

Over at FruitStand, we say kiwi and kiwifruit interchangeably. Why two names? Native to central Asia, the kiwifruit is also known as Chinese gooseberry. Legend has it that back in the 1960’s, New Zealand became a big exporter of the fruit. It became popularly known as “kiwifruit”, rather than Chinese gooseberry, as the fruit arrived in places like the United States and Britain. In New Zealand, the word “kiwi” is only used as either the name of a bird, or a self-proclaimed nickname for those who hail from the country!

Kiwi gone kaput? If so, it’s easy to get bad smells from kiwi out of your house. First, discard any spoiled kiwi and get it outside! Then, clean the area where the fruit was stored with hot, soapy water or home cleaning spray. Let it dry thoroughly.

Immediately refrigerate cut kiwi in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When not refrigerated, only store whole, fresh fruit in a cool, clean and well ventilated area. See our section on how to store kiwi  for help on keeping them fresher for longer!

To prevent bad smells from fruit in your kitchen and home, keep an old-fashioned box of baking soda anywhere you store food. Change it every two to three months to prevent unpleasant aromas before they start.

If you’ve ever wondered where to buy fresh, specialty kiwifruits, 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!