Walking through the produce section, you spot them: those intriguing fuzzy brown ovals promising a burst of vibrant green or sunny gold sweetness inside. Kiwifruit, with its unique tangy flavour and powerhouse of nutrients, is a fantastic addition to any fruit bowl. But how often have you brought some home, only to find them disappointingly rock-hard or sadly squishy? Choosing the perfect kiwi isn’t rocket science, but knowing a few simple tricks can make all the difference between a tart, unripe experience and pure, juicy perfection.
Forget guesswork. Selecting a great kiwi involves engaging a few of your senses. It’s a combination of looking, feeling, and even smelling that will guide you to the best fruit in the pile. Let’s break down the process so you can pick like a pro every time.
First Impressions: Judging a Kiwi by Its Cover
Your eyes are your first tool. Scan the display of kiwis, looking for fruit that appears plump and well-shaped. While slight variations in shape are normal, avoid kiwis that look noticeably shriveled, sunken, or misshapen, as this can indicate dehydration or damage.
The skin itself is a key indicator. For the common green Hayward variety, the skin should be uniformly fuzzy and brown, without any dark patches, bruises, or soft spots. Wrinkled skin usually means the fruit is losing moisture and is likely past its best. Check the area around the stem attachment point; any signs of mold or excessive softness here are red flags. Smooth-skinned varieties, like gold kiwis, should have taut, unblemished skin. Reject any fruit with visible cuts, punctures, or leaky spots.
Key visual checks include:
- Plump, uniform shape
- Skin free from major blemishes, bruises, or mold
- No signs of wrinkling or shriveling
- Intact skin, without cuts or leaks
The Decisive Touch: Feeling for Ripeness
This is arguably the most crucial step. Appearance can tell you about the fruit’s general condition, but touch reveals its ripeness. Cradle the kiwi gently in the palm of your hand. Don’t use your fingertips, as this can easily bruise the delicate fruit (and potentially ruin it for the next shopper!). Apply very gentle, even pressure with your thumb.
What you’re looking for is a slight yield, similar to what you’d expect from a ripe peach or avocado. It shouldn’t be rock hard – that means it’s unripe and will likely be quite tart and possibly astringent. On the other hand, it absolutely shouldn’t feel mushy, boggy, or have distinct soft spots. Mushiness indicates overripeness, meaning the texture inside will be unpleasant and the flavour might be heading towards fermentation. Soft spots often signal bruising beneath the skin.
The ideal kiwi gives just a little under gentle pressure, indicating the flesh inside is tender and ready to eat. Practice this gentle squeeze on a few fruits to get a comparative feel. Consistency is key; the slight give should be felt relatively evenly around the fruit, not just in one isolated area.
Understanding Firmness Levels
Sometimes, you might not want kiwis that are perfectly ripe right now. If you’re planning to eat them over the course of a week, selecting slightly firmer fruits is a good strategy. These kiwis will continue to ripen at room temperature over a few days. If you need kiwis for immediate use, focus solely on finding those that yield perfectly to gentle pressure.
A Whiff of Sweetness: The Role of Smell
While not as definitive as touch, your sense of smell can offer subtle clues. Bring the kiwi closer to your nose, particularly near the stem end. A ripe kiwi often exudes a very light, sweet, and slightly citrusy fragrance. It’s usually quite faint, so don’t expect an overwhelming aroma.
What you really want to avoid are strong or unpleasant smells. If the kiwi smells overly sweet, alcoholic, or fermented, it’s a clear sign that it’s overripe and likely starting to spoil. Conversely, a kiwi that smells of absolutely nothing might still be significantly underripe. While the absence of smell isn’t a deal-breaker if the feel is right, a faint, pleasant aroma can be a good confirmation of ripeness.
Ripening Kiwis at Home
Found a stash of promising but firm kiwis? No problem! Kiwifruit ripens beautifully off the vine. The best way to encourage ripening is to place the firm kiwis in a paper bag (not plastic, as it traps too much moisture) and leave them on your kitchen counter, away from direct sunlight.
To speed things up significantly, add an ethylene-producing fruit like a banana, apple, or pear to the bag. These fruits release ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone that triggers ripening in nearby fruits. Check the kiwis daily using the gentle pressure test described earlier. Depending on their initial firmness and whether you used an accelerating fruit, they could be perfectly ripe in anywhere from one to five days.
Home Ripening Tip: Don’t despair if you can only find firm kiwis at the store. Place them in a paper bag at room temperature, optionally adding an apple or banana to accelerate the process via ethylene gas. Check their firmness daily by gently pressing near the stem end. They should ripen beautifully within a few days, ready for you to enjoy.
Storing Your Perfect Kiwis
Once your kiwis have reached that perfect stage of yielding slightly to gentle pressure, you need to store them properly to maintain their quality. Ripe kiwis should be stored in the refrigerator. Placing them in the crisper drawer, perhaps in a plastic bag (loosely tied or with some holes for ventilation), can help them last longer, often for one to two weeks, though the flavour is always best when enjoyed sooner rather than later.
Unripe, firm kiwis should be kept at room temperature until they reach the desired ripeness, as described in the ripening section. Avoid refrigerating hard kiwis unless you want to significantly slow down the ripening process for later use.
A Note on Varieties
While the fuzzy, brown-skinned, green-fleshed Hayward kiwi is the most common, you might also encounter gold kiwis (like Zespri SunGold). These have smoother, less fuzzy skin, sometimes with a small beak-like protrusion at one end, and bright yellow flesh. The ripeness indicators – especially the gentle pressure test – remain the same. Gold kiwis are often perceived as sweeter and less tart than green varieties, even when slightly firm.
Choosing Wisely for Delicious Results
Selecting the best kiwi fruit boils down to using your senses effectively. Look for plump, unblemished skin. Gently feel for that characteristic slight give under pressure – not hard, not mushy. Give it a subtle sniff for a light, sweet scent. And remember, buying slightly firm kiwis and ripening them at home is often the best strategy for ensuring a perfect eating experience over several days.
With a little practice, you’ll quickly get the hang of identifying those perfectly ripe gems, ensuring every kiwi you bring home delivers that wonderful explosion of tangy-sweet flavour and juicy texture. Happy kiwi hunting!
