CAN I REFRIGERATE KIWIFRUIT?

Did You Know
How To's

We often hear from people that they just don’t know how to care for their kiwifruit. Should kiwifruit be refrigerated? Or should it be treated like an avocado, apple, or banana, and left out of the fridge completely? So we are here to help!

Short answer: Yes, you can refrigerate Zespri™ Kiwifruit. Ripe SunGold™ Kiwifruit lasts up to 7 days in the fridge. Putting in the fridge helps slow down the ripening process which helps keep your kiwifruit longer.

How can I tell if a SunGold Kiwi is ripe?

You can check the ripeness of kiwifruit by holding it in the palm of your hand and gently squeezing the fruit. If it gives to slight pressure, like an avocado or peach, then it’s ready to eat!

Zespri™ SunGold™Kiwifruit ripens from the inside out and gets sweeter as it gets softer. When Zespri™ SunGold™ Kiwifruit is on the firmer side, it tends to taste tart closer to the skin. This means that you can get the exact taste experience that you want. If you like a sweeter kiwifruit, just wait until it gets a bit softer.

Ripe for You; Ripe for Me?

When talking about how to store and care for your kiwifruit, it’s important to first understand what “ripe” means.

Zespri™ Kiwifruit should typically be ready to eat when you buy it. But “ripe” can mean different things to different people. That means that a store-bought kiwifruit might be perfectly ripe for one person, but not quite ready for someone else.

We always recommend that you ripen your kiwifruit at room temperature. Ripe kiwifruit will stay nice and delicious in your fruit bowl for a few days. But if you can’t eat your entire package of Zespri™ Kiwifruit in one sitting, you can keep your kiwifruit for 1-2 weeks by refrigerating it.

Other Tips to Consider

If you need to quickly ripen your kiwifruit, you can store it at room temperature in a paper bag with other fruits, like bananas or apples. These fruits give off ethylene which helps speed up the ripening process.

Yes, you can freeze kiwi too!

You can prolong the life of your ripe Zespri™ Kiwifruit by popping it in the freezer to use later in refreshing recipes such as smoothies and sorbets. Just remember to cut your kiwifruit in half or peel to freeze, otherwise your whole kiwifruit could split open.