Is there an easy way to peel kiwi?
Kiwifruit, often simply called kiwi, is a sweet and tangy fruit that is popular around the world. While kiwis are nutritious and delicious, peeling their fuzzy brown skin can be tricky and time-consuming. Many people struggle to peel kiwis quickly and easily. Fortunately, with the right techniques and tools, peeling kiwis doesn’t have to be a chore.
The Challenge of Peeling Kiwis
Kiwifruit presents unique peeling challenges compared to other fruits:
- Fuzzy skin – The brown fuzzy skin clings tightly to the inner bright green flesh.
- Oval shape – The oval shape can make peeling difficult compared to spherical fruits.
- Small size – Kiwis are relatively small, making them hard to grip.
- Soft flesh – The flesh bruises and squshes easily if too much pressure is applied.
These attributes make it hard to simply peel kiwis with your fingers. The skin sticks stubbornly to the flesh while the shape makes the fruit prone to bruising and slipping from your grasp. For these reasons, many people struggle to peel kiwis quickly and efficiently.
Conventional Peeling Methods
Most people use one of three basic methods to peel kiwis:
Fingernails or paring knife
Using fingernails or a paring knife, you cut into the top end of the kiwi and peel back the skin in strips or pieces. This takes time and rarely results in neat, whole kiwi halves. The oval shape and clinging skin makes it difficult to remove the peel cleanly.
Slicing off the ends
In this method, you slice off the top and bottom ends of the kiwi before standing it upright and slicing down its sides. The skin can then be peeled away. However, cutting so much flesh off wastes a lot of the kiwi.
Spoon
A spoon can be inserted just under the skin of a kiwi and slid around the inner flesh to separate the skin. This avoids damaging the flesh but takes patience. The spoon struggles to get under the tight skin.
While these techniques work, they require time and practice. Let’s look at some easier methods.
Efficient Kiwi Peeling Techniques
The following approaches make peeling kiwi a breeze:
Peeling spoon
A kiwi peeling spoon is a specialized utensil for easily peeling fuzzy fruits. The curved metal spoon slips under the skin without cutting the flesh. Simply insert the spoon’s tip into the kiwi’s top and slide it around the oval circumference while twisting the fruit. The skin separates cleanly from the flesh in one piece. Peeling spoons are inexpensive, reusable and take seconds to peel a kiwi.
Swivel Peeler
A Y-shaped swivel peeler, also called a kiwi peeler, has blades on both sides of its head. You puncture one end of the kiwi with a blade then swivel the peeler as you move it around the fruit. The double blades speed up peeling and create neat, even halves. The shape fits kiwis perfectly. Swivel peelers are affordable, simple to use and make peeling kiwis easy.
Serrated Peeler
This inexpensive peeler has a row of fine serrated teeth on its head. You roll the teeth across the kiwi’s skin, separating it from the flesh. The teeth grab and cut the skin cleanly without damaging the fruit. Serrated peelers allow you to peel kiwis quickly in a single motion.
Other Handy Tools
While kiwi peelers do most of the work, other tools can further streamline the process:
Kitchen Shears
Using kitchen shears to slice off the top and bottom ends gives you flat, stable surfaces to stand your kiwi on for quicker peeling.
Cupcake Liners
Setting peeled kiwi halves in cupcake liners or the wells of an ice cube tray keeps them from rolling around for easy slicing.
Egg Slicer
An egg slicer neatly segments peeled kiwi halves into uniform slices and cubes.
Peeling Technique Step-by-Step
Follow these simple steps for easy kiwi peeling:
- Cut off top and bottom ends of kiwi using kitchen shears. This allows it to stand upright.
- Insert peeler into top of kiwi and swivel around circumference while twisting and lightly pressing fruit. The skin will separate in one piece.
- Slice peeled kiwi lengthwise. Use an egg slicer or knife.
- Place kiwi halves cut side down in cupcake liners or ice cube tray wells to prevent rolling.
- Slice or cube kiwi halves.
In less than a minute, you’ll have neatly cut kiwi slices ready to enjoy!
Choosing the Best Kiwis for Peeling
Some types of kiwifruit are easier to peel than others:
| Kiwi Variety | Peeling Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Hayward | Easy – Smooth, thin brown skin |
| Chieftain | Moderate – Fuzzier skin |
| Gold kiwi | Difficult – Furry, soft gold skin |
Hayward kiwis are the most common green variety. Their skin peels off smoothly. Furry gold kiwis require extra effort. Test different types of kiwis to find your favorites for texture, taste and peelability.
Ripeness Impacts Peelability
A kiwi’s ripeness affects how easily it can be peeled:
| Ripeness | Peelability |
|---|---|
| Unripe – Very firm | Hard to peel – Clings to flesh |
| Ripe – Slightly soft, yields to gentle pressure | Peels easily from flesh |
| Overripe – Very soft | Difficult to handle without bruising |
For easiest peeling, allow kiwis to fully ripen until just slightly soft. Unripe kiwis hold onto their skin, while overripe kiwis are too delicate.
Storing Peeled Kiwis
Once peeled, kiwis begin to deteriorate quickly. To enjoy peeled kiwi over several days:
- Place in an airtight container lined with a dry paper towel to absorb moisture.
- Store in the refrigerator. They will keep up to 5 days.
- Sprinkle with lemon, lime or orange juice to prevent browning.
- Submerge slices/cubes in fruit juice or syrup in an airtight container for longer storage.
Proper storage keeps your freshly peeled kiwis ready to enjoy all week long.
Conclusion
Peeling kiwis cleanly and efficiently is simple with the right tools and techniques. Kiwi peelers, like swivel, serrated and specialized spoons, simplify the task. Cutting off the ends before peeling makes handling easier. Allow kiwis to fully ripen for clean removal from the skin. Store peeled kiwis properly to prevent spoiling and discoloration. With the methods described above, you can quickly and easily peel kiwis for instant enjoyment in fruit salads, smoothies, chia puddings and more. Ditch the struggle and discover how satisfying kiwi peeling can be!
