Here are three simple kitchen hacks that make peeling kiwi fruit a breeze! These tips make it easier to add more yummy kiwi to your diet.
Most American-grown kiwifruit comes from California, which is responsible for about 98% of the production. The fruit itself is about the size of an egg, has green or yellow flesh, and is a sweet-tart treat locally available in the U.S. during the winter months.
But do you have to peel it? That is, can you eat the skin?
The answer: yes! Yes, yes you can eat the peel from kiwi. It might be unpleasant as it’s a little tough and furry, but completely edible. That said, the fact that they look like balls doesn’t help. The skin of kiwifruit (also known as the Chinese gooseberry) is packed with fiber, folate, and antioxidants, making it very nutrient-dense.
Can You Eat Kiwi Skin?
The skin also holds many antioxidants. In fact, there is a higher concentration of antioxidants in the skin than in the flesh of the fruit itself. The skin is a particularly good source of two major antioxidants: vitamin C and vitamin E .
Eating the fruit’s skin can increase its fiber content by 50%, boost folate by 32%, and raise vitamin E concentration by 34%, compared to eating just the flesh alone.
How to Eat Kiwi Skin
Straight up just eat it like an apple. If you can get past the tougher skin and fuzz, you don’t even have to bother peeling it. And we all know, peeling kiwi can be a bit of a hassle.
The peel can then be blended into smoothies, a simple and quick way to get all the health benefits without feeling like you’re chomping on balls. Use em up immediately or freeze them for later use. Either way, more nutrients in your diet, less food waste, and again…no balls. #facts
How to Buy Kiwi
Before peeling it (or eating it whole), you want to start off with the best kiwi fruit you can buy. Using your palm and the pad of your thumb apply light pressure to the fruit. Do not use your fingertips! Feel for soft squishy spots. The fruit should be firm and bounce back to pressure. The skin should also be taut and not wrinkled.
But the reason you are here…
How to Peel Kiwi
Below are three ways to peel kiwifruit. That said, save the peels for later use. I beg of you!
America tosses out 40% of the food produced in this country. Here is a great video breaking down U.S. food waste. So consuming edible items usually tossed in the bin is a great way to combat unnecessary waste.
Paring Knife Method
Probably the most common and obvious method. Take a paring knife and trim off the ends. Then stand the fruit on end, and slice down the sides lengthwise to remove all of the peel.
You can also use a vegetable peeler but I find that you end up wasting more fruit this way. Kiwis are tender when ripe and it does not take much pressure to cut through them. A vegetable peeler is less precise than a knife.
Glass Method
You still need the knife for this method. Cut the fruit in half, then use a small glass to remove the peel by sliding the fruit down the side of it, wedging the glass between the skin and the fruit’s flesh.
Spoon Method
This isn’t the kind of spooning you are thinking of. Or maybe it is? You still need a knife though. Slice off the ends, insert the spoon between the flesh and skin, and rotate the fruit, removing the peel.
The key here is to keep the spoon against the peel while rotating without breaking through the skin. It takes a bit of practice.
