Where's The Best Place To Store Kiwis For Ripening?

With so much fruit at your fingertips, you may have grown partial to kiwi for its fuzzy brown skin and tangy green and white flesh. According to Health, one small kiwi contains just the right amount of energy-fueling carbohydrates and several important vitamins and minerals, like copper and vitamins K and C. Beyond scooping out the insides with a spoon or enjoying chopped kiwi over yogurt, sliced kiwi adds both tropical flavor and visual appeal to classic fruit salad. Regardless of how you enjoy this vibrant produce, the difference between a sour and sweet kiwi fruit comes down to ripening.

While golden kiwis are usually ready to eat upon purchase, you may find green kiwis slightly firm to the touch. To ripen, leave green kiwi fruit on your counter, away from direct sunlight, for three to five days, until the flesh has a little give when squeezed and the fruit gives off a slightly sweet smell. Kiwi fruit continues to ripen after being picked, so a handful of days stored at room temperature will give you perfectly soft, edible fruit. However, if you want more flexibility around your kiwi consumption, there are a few clever ways to speed up or prolong the ripening process.

If you plan on making a cool strawberry salsa and need your recently purchased kiwis to be soft and sliceable by tomorrow, a paper bag and some other types of fruit will help this fuzzy brown berry ripen in a flash. All you need to do is place kiwis with a banana or apple in a brown paper sack and fold the bag tightly closed for one to two days. Since kiwi fruit ripens faster when exposed to ethylene gas, utilizing a fruit that produces said gas quickens the ripening process. If you don't have ethylene-producing fruits to spare, you can also place kiwis in a sunny spot on your counter; the direct sunlight will soften kiwi faster.

Alternatively, refrigeration is essential for those hoping to extend the shelf life of kiwi fruit. Place unripe kiwis in the fridge until you're ready to ripen, or allow the fruit to soften at room temperature before placing them in cold storage until you're ready to enjoy. While unripe kiwis last up to four weeks in the refrigerator, softened kiwis last between five to 10 days. However, storing kiwis in the fridge too close to other ethylene-producing fruit such as apples, avocados, and tomatoes may speed up the ripening process.

Whether you're planning to pack whole kiwis in your daily lunch sack or serve them diced atop your overnight breakfast bowl, ripe kiwi fruit doesn't last forever. More often than not, whole ripe kiwis usually last a week when stored at room temperature. Place ripened kiwis in the fridge to extend their shelf life or freeze any unused fruit for later use. If you have unused kiwi slices from your latest fruit salad, cut portions will last in the refrigerator for up to two days in an airtight container.

If you can't eat your entire kiwi stash within the recommended time frame, this tropical fruit lasts three months when stored properly in the freezer. To freeze, peel and slice kiwi fruit, place slices on parchment or a silicone-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid. After two to three hours, store frozen kiwi slices in resealable frozen storage containers or freezer-safe plastic bags.

You now have ample time to consume these juicy leftovers. You can either thaw frozen kiwi in the refrigerator for an easy afternoon snack or throw some frozen slices in your blender for a tropical morning smoothie. You can even make kiwi-watermelon and peach ice pops to enjoy on hot summer days. Before storing leftover kiwi in your freezer, ripen your latest haul at room temperature to enjoy this juicy tropical fruit at peak freshness.