Kiwi
Packed with more vitamin C than an equivalent amount of orange, the bright green flesh of the kiwifruit speckled with tiny black seeds adds a dramatic tropical flair to any fruit salad. California kiwifruit is available November through May, while the New Zealand crop hits the market June through October making fresh kiwis available year round.
BUY IT
Inspect the outer skin. Inspect the outer skin’s color and texture. A ripe kiwi’s skin is brown and fuzzy. Also, check for any bruises, dark spots, mold, or wrinkles. If the kiwi is bruised, shriveled, or has mold, then the kiwi is not good for eating and is probably overripe.
Ripen your kiwis at home. Ripen your kiwis at home by placing them in a paper bag with another fruit, such as a banana. The kiwis also need to be at room temperature to become ripe. Wait three to five days before checking to see if the kiwis are ripe.
ADD IT
Kiwi has a delicate flavor that complements salads, desserts, and even salsa. Use kiwi in a salad in place of (or with) tomatoes. Peel and dice kiwi and use to top frozen yogurt or sorbet. Puree peeled kiwi with another fruit juice such as mango or pineapple along with yogurt for a smoothie. Top a creamy rice pudding with diced kiwi.
PREP IT
It is important to wash any fruit before cutting it. The first thing that you will want to do is peel the skin. To do this, cut off each end of the kiwi. Then, get your knife underneath the skin of the kiwi and peel it from all the way around the entire fruit. If this does not work for you, try peeling the fruit vertically, beginning from the top to the bottom. This will take slightly longer to do but can make the peeling process easier.
Once the kiwi has been peeled, the next thing that you will need to do is slice it. kiwi fruits have a core in the center. Some people prefer to cut around the core. There are also people who prefer to scoop the seeds out of the fruit. If you want to cut around the core of the fruit, you can also cut the kiwi in vertical slices.