When Are Kiwis in Season?

Ah, kiwi – the most enigmatic of fruits. Kiwifruit has a fuzzy brown exterior, but it hides a soft and velvety pulp. The flavor profile of kiwi is a heavenly blend of sweet and sour with hints of melon, banana and strawberry.

Kiwifruit is quite the non-conformist! It must have been an odd character who first thought to chomp into a kiwi, but in retrospect, we owe that person a lot.

While kiwi is a winter fruit that grows in the US from October through to May, which is also the peak selling season, you can count on prices remaining mostly unchanged throughout the year thanks to growers in the southern hemisphere.

While you’re adding kiwi to your grocery list, don’t forget to check your offers in the Fetch app to earn the most points on your receipt. Don’t have Fetch? Download our shopping rewards app, start snapping your receipts, and you’ll earn points you can redeem for free gift cards. It’s that easy!

Where Do Kiwis Grow?

Kiwis can grow in the United States, but they mostly keep to the warmer climes of California. More than 90% of kiwifruit is grown in New Zealand, where also dwells the kiwi bird and where the people are known as kiwis. They have a bit of a theme going.

How Do Kiwis Grow?

Do kiwis grow on trees? Well, mostly “‘no,” but with a touch of “yes.” We never claimed kiwis were simple.

The kiwi plant is actually a woody vine that can reach up to 30 feet, but they are sometimes known as kiwi trees. Since kiwi vines heavy with fruit require sturdy supports, they can be grown across trees simply to keep them up – you’ll also see pergolas, archways, and wires used for support.

How Long Do Kiwis Last?

Here’s another odd thing about the kiwi: it continues to ripen after harvesting. This means very firm kiwis can be kept for up to a month in the refrigerator as they slowly ripen. When dealing with ripe kiwifruit, you’re looking at 5 to 10 days.

How to Pick a Kiwi

You can buy unripe kiwis and play the waiting game, but what if you want it now? That means learning how to tell if a kiwi is ripe, and there are a few tips to ace that test. A ripe kiwi will:

• Be nice and round without any flat spots.
• Free of tears, blemishes, wrinkles, or other imperfections.
• Feel slightly soft with a little give. If it’s stiff and firm like an apple, that guy still needs to ripen. When it’s super soft, it’s overripe.
• Smell sweet and fruity. Unripe kiwis won’t have much of a smell to them, whereas overripe ones will give off a slightly sour odor.

How to Peel a Kiwi

You can eat kiwi skin, but we don’t recommend it. It is frankly un-delicious. Luckily enough, a whopping two ways of peeling a kiwi can help you feast on the juicy innards.

One way to peel kiwifruit:

1. Place your kiwi on a cutting board, then cut off the top end using a sharp knife.
2. Run a vegetable peeler from top to bottom in a downwards motion to remove the skin.
3. Once peeled, cut off the kiwi’s bottom end.

Another way to peel kiwifruit:

1. Place your kiwi on a cutting board, then use a sharp knife to remove both ends.
2. Slip a spoon between the skin and fruit, then move it around the outside of the kiwi.
3. After taking the spoon on a complete circuit, you can slide out the peeled fruit.

How to Store Kiwi to Preserve Freshness

Whether ripe or unripe, kiwi is best refrigerated. It should last around 5-10 days if ripe or up to a month if it’s still firm. Should you find yourself facing a kiwi emergency and require one to ripen lickety-split, place it in a loosely closed paper bag and keep it at room temperature for two or three days.

Easy Kiwi Recipes

Kiwi concoctions range from the decadent to the super-healthy, so why not level up your kiwi game by trying a few of our favorites? 

How to Make Kiwi Juice

Being packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, kiwi is a strong choice for making health-packed juice. If healthy vibes aren’t enough to convince you, we swear it’s also fantastically refreshing on hot summer days.

Ingredients:

• Several fresh, ripe kiwi
• Optional sweetener, such as maple syrup, agave, or honey

Recipe:

1. Juicing kiwis whole adds nutrients without impacting flavor, so start by scrubbing them to remove the fuzzy hairs.
2. Cut the hard stem tops from each kiwi.
3. Place in a blender and blend until smooth.
4. Enjoy with pulp and seeds, or strain through a fine mesh strainer to keep things smooth
5. Feel free to add a sweetener (especially if your kiwi was overripe) or top up with water or coconut water.

How to Make Candied Kiwi

Nutrient-packed kiwifruit can transform into a guilty pleasure through the wonders of candy-fication. It’s a simple process you’ll keep coming back to, and it turns kiwi into candy in just a few hours.

Ingredients:

• Ripe kiwifruit
• Sugar

Recipe:

1. Peel your kiwifruit, then wash in cool water and cut into even slices.
2. Combine 3 parts water and 1 part sugar in a large saucepan, then slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat to create your sugar syrup.
3. Coat your kiwi by dipping each slice into the syrup until completely covered.
4. Reduce the heat and cook for 30 to 50 minutes, stirring every now and then to turn the slices and prevent them from sticking.
5. Cool your kiwi slices on wax paper placed over a wire rack.
6. Once cooled, coat each slice in a shallow bowl of granulated sugar, then allow to dry.

How to Make a Kiwi Strawberry Smoothie

Kiwi can be all about nutrition, or it can be a sweet treat. How about both at the same time? We still have you covered by bringing strawberries into the mix for a smoothie you’ll be reaching for every breakfast time… and lunchtime… and all other times imaginable.

Ingredients:

• Frozen strawberries
• Ripe kiwi
• Milk (regular is fine, but you can also use oat, soy, or nut-based)
• Plain unsweetened yogurt
• Optional sweetener, such as maple syrup, honey, or agave

Recipe:

1. Add everything to a blender, ensuring softer ingredients are closest to the blades for an even blend.
2. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
3. Add any optional sweetener.
4. Serve garnished on top with diced strawberries or kiwi.

Maximize Your Kiwi Purchases by Taking Advantage of Our Grocery Rewards App

Mastering the ins and outs of kiwi selection is a smart move, and you can make each trip to the grocery store even more profitable by using our rewards app. Take a picture of your grocery receipt before leaving, then collect points to earn rewards like free grocery store gift cards which you can redeem to use future trips to the store.