Crazy for kiwi

This fuzzy fruit is not only tasty, it packs quite a nutritional punch

For a small fruit, kiwis can be a bit intimidating. Beneath that fuzzy brown skin is a world of deliciousness, but selecting, storing and peeling them can be challenging. It doesn’t have to be.

Kiwis ripen best at room temperature on the counter. You can tell a kiwi is ripe if the fruit yields to a bit of pressure from your thumb. Kiwis are very sensitive to ethylene, a gas given off by some fruit as it ripens, and exposure to it causes them to ripen faster. That means if the fruit is not ripening at the pace you desire, simply place it in a paper bag with an apple to ripen it faster.

However, once kiwis have ripened, keep them away from high-ethylene-producing foods—pears, avocados, bananas, melons and tomatoes, to name a few—or they will overripen quickly. Once they are ripe, if you are not going to consume them straightaway, store them in the refrigerator to prolong the shelf life.

It’s no secret that kiwis, with their crunchy seeds, make a wonderful addition to any fruit salad, but they can do more. You can easily incorporate kiwis into smoothies, ice pops, salsas or even margaritas.

If you’re enjoying a single kiwi on its own and don’t want to eat the skin, simply cut the fruit widthwise and scoop it out with a spoon.

As if all this isn’t enough, kiwis are also very good for you. Gram for gram, kiwis pack almost as much potassium as a banana, but with fewer carbs, lower sugars and more fibre. They also have 10 times the vitamin C.

Have more kiwis than you can handle? Try my Spicy Kiwi Salsa. And the Kiwi Shrubarita is a great place to start your foray into the wonderful world of kiwis.

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Costco Connection: Gold and green kiwis are available in your local Costco warehouse. Groceries are available for delivery through Costco Grocery at Costco.ca.

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