Peel a Kiwi

Kiwifruit (also known as Chinese gooseberries, or "kiwi" for short) is a versatile fruit often used in salads, dressings, marinades, pavlovas and as a fruit topping for ice cream. The enzymes in kiwifruit also make it an excellent tenderizer for meat.[1] The delicate flesh of the kiwifruit requires careful peeling to avoid damaging the fruit by gouging or splitting. Removing the skin with a knife or vegetable peeler is a common method, as is scooping out the flesh with a spoon. You can even blanch a kiwifruit to remove the skin. Here are three methods for peeling a kiwifruit.

Steps

Using a serrated knife or vegetable peeler

  1. Hold the Select and Store Kiwifruit firmly in your non-dominant hand.
  2. Place the blade of the knife or peeler at the top of the kiwifruit. Use your dominant hand to hold the peeler or knife.
  3. Apply gentle pressure until you feel the skin give under the blade. You may need to make a small nick in the skin to get a hold.
  4. Use a sawing motion to peel from the bottom to the top of the kiwifruit - peeling away from your hand to avoid accidentally cutting yourself. Peel gently – don't cut deeply or you'll remove too much of the flesh of the fruit.
  5. Work your way around the whole kiwifruit using the gentle sawing motion.

Peeling kiwifruit with a spoon

  1. Cut off both ends of the kiwifruit using a serrated paring knife.
  2. Slip a spoon in between the skin and the flesh of the fruit (a tablespoon is usually a good size of spoon to use). The back of the spoon should rest against the inside of the skin.
  3. Apply a small amount of pressure against the skin and gently turn the kiwifruit with your other hand, scooping the flesh away from the skin. When the spoon gets back to the starting point, the kiwifruit should pop out of the skin.

Blanching kiwifruit to remove the skin

  1. Fill a pot with enough water to cover the kiwifruit. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
  2. Drop the whole kiwifruit into the boiling water and blanch it for 20 to 30 seconds.
  3. Scoop the kiwifruit out of the boiling water and run it under cold water. When it's cool to the touch, you should be able to peel the skin off with your fingers.
  4. Finished.



Tips

  • If you need to ripen a kiwifruit, you can leave it out at room temperature for a few days. To speed up the process, place it in a brown paper bag with a banana, apple, or pear. The ethylene gas these fruits emit helps the kiwifruit ripen faster.
  • There is a quick and simple way to peel kiwifruit with a teaspoon. This method works best with fruit that is ripe but not too soft. First, cut off both ends of a kiwi. Then slip a teaspoon just under the skin, matching the spoon’s curve to the curve of the fruit. Now slide the spoon around the kiwi to separate the fruit from the skin, being careful not to dig the spoon into the flesh. Once the spoon has been completely run around the fruit, it will easily slip out of the skin in one smooth piece!
  • Don't use a knife or vegetable peeler with a straight blade to peel a kiwifruit. It's easier to cut into the flesh with a serrated knife.
  • If you find it too troublesome to peel a kiwifruit without damaging it, consider giving it a good scrub down and eating it with the skin still intact.
  • Originally from China, kiwifruit is grown in large quantities in New Zealand, Australia, South America, and parts of Europe.[1]

Warnings

  • Don't boil a kiwifruit that is overripe. The flesh is too soft, and you'll end up with nothing but mushy pulp. If this does happen, make Make Kiwifruit Relish!
  • The enzymes in kiwifruit will cause gelatine and aspic to not set; kiwifruit also curdles milk, making it an undesirable addition to homemade ice cream.[1]

Things You'll Need

  • Kiwifruit
  • Serrated knife
  • Serrated vegetable peeler (optional)
  • Spoon
  • Pot

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Christine Ingram, Cooking Ingredients, p. 390, (2005), ISBN 1-84477-441-4

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