After a bumper harvest, you definitely don’t have to rush to eat all your kiwis at once! Whether you’ve grown your own or you’re stocking up on a great sale at the grocery store, there are a few simple tricks to keep them fresh and delicious for weeks.
Storing Homegrown Kiwis
If you’ve given your vines the right spot in the garden, you might find yourself with a massive haul. The key is timing: wait to harvest until October or November. If you pick them too early, they’ll stay sour even after they soften up.
Kiwis need a little “beauty sleep” in a cool spot for a few weeks to reach peak sweetness. A basement or garage that stays between 50°F and 60°F is perfect. For the best results, lay them out in a single layer in shallow crates rather than stacking them—this prevents bruising and helps them last longer.
Pro Tip: A few days before you’re ready for a snack, bring a few kiwis into the warm kitchen. They’ll soften up beautifully and develop that signature sweet flavor.
Storing Store-Bought Kiwis
When you’re at the store, keep an eye on how ripe the fruit is. This tells you exactly how to store them. If you want to stock up, look for kiwis that are as hard as a potato. These “rock-hard” fruits can easily hang out in your refrigerator for several weeks without a problem.
Just like the homegrown ones, move them to the counter a few days before you want to eat them. On the flip side, if you’re planning on making a fruit salad tonight, look for fruit that gives slightly when you press it.
Tips & Tricks
Don’t forget to check on your ripening fruit every now and then! A quick, gentle squeeze will tell you which ones are ready to eat. It’s important to stay on top of this because one overripe, rotting kiwi can quickly spoil the whole batch.
If you’re feeling impatient and want to speed up the ripening process, just move the kiwis to a warm spot and tuck them in next to some apples or bananas. These fruits release ethylene gas, which acts like a natural “fast-forward” button for ripening your kiwis!
