TOP TASTE

Zespri Kiwifruit is the best-tasting kiwifruit in the world.

A popular eating option is to ‘cut and scoop’ – leave the skin on, cut the fruit in half with a knife and scoop the contents out with a teaspoon and eat. This makes Zespri Kiwifruit a portable fruit that can be eaten anywhere, and anytime. Alternatively, all Zespri Kiwifruit can be easily peeled and then sliced, diced, pureed or eaten whole.

How to get your Zespri Kiwifruit into perfect eating condition

Whether you prefer to cut and scoop or peel and slice them, Zespri Kiwifruit are best eaten ripe, and will be sweeter when softer. When choosing Zespri Kiwifruit, look for fruit that is semi-firm to touch, unblemished and with no soft, bruised spots or wrinkled skin.

It normally takes between three-to-five days for a firm Zespri Kiwifruit to ripen, although you can speed up the process by putting your Zespri Kiwifruit in a paper bag with an apple or banana. A ripe kiwifruit will yield gently to your fingers when you press it and can be eaten immediately or stored in the refrigerator for a further two-to-three weeks. If you buy your kiwifruit regularly and eat them straight away, select kiwifruit that yields slightly to the touch and store them in a fruit bowl or in your refrigerator.

If you buy your kiwifruit in larger quantities or need to store it for extended periods, choose fruit that is firmer to the touch and keep them in the refrigerator. Take them out of the refrigerator and place in a fruit bowl, out of direct sunlight, for a day or two to ripen before you eat. Kiwifruit will ripen more quickly if they are placed close to apples or bananas.

Zespri Kiwifruit soften as they age, so it is best to consume them before they become too soft. Zespri Gold and SunGold Kiwifruit are softer than green kiwifruit varieties. This means they don't keep at room temperature for as long as Zespri Green Kiwifruit. However, gold kiwifruit keep for a week in the fridge and are even tastier eaten cold!

Freezing Zespri Kiwifruit is also an alternative option to eating immediately, as this doesn’t affect the colour or the flavour and frozen fruit is perfect for making smoothies.

Growing the taste

Zespri Kiwifruit is the best tasting kiwifruit in the world – and delivering fantastic-tasting kiwifruit around the globe begins with the best vines and growing conditions. Our taste management programme, ‘Taste Zespri’, helps our growers to grow and deliver the best-tasting kiwifruit to the world.