How To Store Kiwis In The Fridge For Long-Lasting Freshness

With a cute, perky, little fruit like kiwi, the last thing you want to witness is its vibrant green flesh and piercing black seeds dissipating into a mushy mesh. But that's what you risk any time a kiwi gets plucked from its twining vine and parked in your kitchen. Fortunately, refrigerators step into the time gap, extending the period between freshly harvested to past-prime status. There are two considerations when protecting your kiwi fruits from fading or rotting. The first is keeping whole, unpeeled kiwis fresh until eating time, and the other is prolonging the edible lifespan of leftover raw kiwi slices. 

The first approach, storing kiwis in their natural uncut form, is relatively simple. It starts with choosing the right piece of fruit at the grocer or farm stand. The ultimate kiwi is one that's plump and ripe, with a slightly soft texture, fragrant aroma, and no visible blemishes or wrinkles. In that condition, just store in the refrigerator for a few days and indulge at will. Unripe kiwis, which are firm rather than pliable and tart instead of sweet, will ripen more quickly on your countertop. But if you need them to last longer after purchase, it's okay for very firm ones to ripen in the refrigerator for up to a month. 

It's the second kiwi preservation method that's a bit trickier. That one comes into play when you've already peeled off that fuzzy brown coat and cut through the brilliantly sweet, chartreuse flesh.   

It happens all the time — we make ambitiously hearty fresh-fruit salads, go overboard on peeled fruit for morning smoothies, or cut too many showcase kiwi slices for evening cocktails. Kiwi gusto is easy to understand, especially as the coveted California ones are only in season from September through November. You don't want to miss a single juicy kiwi bite, and fortunately, you don't have to. 

It's true that any fruit begins to degrade in quality once exposed to air, but refrigerators are chilly caregivers, extending life as long as possible. That could be for only a couple of days, and they'll need to properly sealed in a bag or storage container. Regardless of whether your kiwi is whole or sliced, it's important to store them away from fruits that produce ethylene, which can cause kiwis to ripen or spoil more quickly. There's a surprisingly large number of fruits in that category, including kiwi as well as bananas, apples, tomatoes, pears, cantaloupes, and peaches. 

Then there's always the frozen chambers of your refrigerator, which give those sliced kiwis another chance at an afterlife. Freeze as you would any fruit; lay the slices out on a flat baking sheet, lined with parchment paper if available, and freeze for a couple of hours. Then toss those nutritious green goodies into a freezer-compatible container and consume within three to 12 months. There's also the option of smashing the fruit with honey for a sweet frozen treat.