How you cut kiwi fruit will depend on what you intend to do with it. This tutorial will show you;
- how to pick a kiwi fruit,
- how to peel a kiwi, and
- how to cut kiwi fruit in several different ways.
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How to Pick A Kiwi Fruit
Choose kiwi fruit that are firm and wrinkle-free. Then gently press the fruit between your thumb and pointer fingers to test for firmness. If it gives in to the lightest pressure, it is ripe and ready to be used.
If the kiwi feels very firm and does not give under light pressure, it is not ripe and can be sour to taste, and if it feels very soft, it is overripe.
You can buy underripe kiwi fruit if you are not using them straight away because they will ripen when left out at room temperature for several days.
When left out at room temperature, keep them away from direct sunlight and check them every day to avoid over-ripening.
Firm kiwi fruit is ideal for putting in fruit salads, using it as a garnish on drinks, and decorating desserts.
Overripe kiwi fruit is too soft and will not hold its shape in fruit salads and decorations.
Use overripe kiwi fruit to make smoothies, sorbets, syrup, and jams.
How To Tell If Kiwi Fruit Is Bad?
If the fruit is super soft, squishy, and starts to ooze out a liquid, this shows that it is overripe and needs to be discarded.
Do You Need To Peel Kiwi?
No, you don't need to peel a kiwi fruit because the skin can be eaten and it does have some health benefits. However, most people do because they do not like the furry skin on some varieties.
How To Peel A Kiwi Fruit
How to peel a kiwi with a knife
- Place the kiwi fruit on a cutting board so that the top and bottom ends are horizontal to the board. Use a small knife to slice both ends.
- Turn the kiwi fruit and place one cut side down onto the board.
- Use a small sharp knife to slice away the peel. Place the knife blade at the top and cut down to the other side to remove the peel, rotating the kiwi as you remove the peel.
How to peel a kiwi with a spoon
Whole Kiwi Fruit - Use this method if you want perfect round slices without knife marks.
- Place the kiwi fruit on a cutting board so that the top and bottom ends are horizontal to the board. Use a small knife to slice off both ends.
- Push the tip of a teaspoon into one cut end and close to the skin. Slide the teaspoon through to the opposite cut end.
- Rotate the spoon around the kiwi to separate the skin from the flesh.
- Once the spoon has made a complete circle, the skin should slide off the kiwi.
Half Kiwi Fruit
- Cut the kiwi fruit in half.
- Pick up one of the half pieces of the kiwi fruit and push the tip of a teaspoon between the skin and flesh. Slide the teaspoon down to the other end of the fruit.
- Rotate the spoon around the kiwi to separate the skin from the flesh.
- Once the spoon has made a complete circle, the skin should slide off the kiwi.
- Repeat with the other half.
How to peel a kiwi with a vegetable peeler
Like the other methods above, start by slicing off the ends, then remove the skin with a vegetable peeler.
Use this method only on firm kiwi fruit because they don’t always peel that well when soft when using a vegetable peeler.
Also, use a sharp peeler, because a blunt peeler can tear the skin away leaving the flesh uneven.
How To Cut Kiwi Fruit
Using slices or chunks of kiwi fruit is a great way to decorate a dish, and when combined with other fruits like strawberries and rockmelon they add color.
Cut kiwi fruit into rounds, half-circles, quarters, and small dice. You can even get fancy and cut the kiwi fruit in a zigzag to make a star-cut decoration for fruit platters or decorate the dessert tables.
How to cut into rounds and half rounds
- Peel the kiwi fruit using your preferred method and keep it whole.
- Use a small sharp knife to slice the kiwi fruit into rounds. How thick to cut the slices will depend on the ripeness of the fruit. If it is soft, cut thick slices because they are fragile and can easily break. If the fruit is firm, you can cut them thinner because they will have the strength to hold their shape.
- If you prefer, cut the rounds down the center in half.
How to cut into dice
- Peel the kiwi fruit using your preferred method.
- Use a small sharp knife and slice the kiwi fruit in half, cutting it down lengthwise.
- Then cut each half again lengthwise to quarter the kiwi fruit.
- Then use the knife to cut each section into small dice.
How to make a star cut decoration
- Keep the skin on the kiwi fruit.
- Use a small sharp knife to make zig-zag cuts around the fruit at the center. Start and end each cut to meet at the top and bottom and only cut just a little more than the center of the fruit.
- Once you have cut all the way around, gently pull the halves apart. If the halves are not separating (which can happen if this is the first time you are learning this), just put the knife back into each cut you made and cut a little deeper.
- For presentation, you can use a small sharp knife to remove the skin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, kiwi fruit can be peeled ahead of time - after removing the skin it should be wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge.
Preferably cut the kiwi when you intend to use it. This way, the pieces will look their best. If you need to cut it in advance, store it covered in the fridge for a day or two.
If you have found this cooking resource for how to cut kiwi fruit helpful please don’t forget to rate the post and leave a comment below.
Claire says
Thanks for the tips.