How to Peel a Kiwi With a Spoon (Plus How to Cut It)

You cannot easily peel a rock-hard kiwi with a spoon, so testing for ripeness is a crucial first step.

• The Gentle Squeeze Test: Hold the kiwi in the palm of your hand and apply gentle pressure with your thumb. It should yield slightly, similar to a ripe peach or a ready-to-eat avocado. If it is entirely firm, it needs more time.
• Visual Cues: Look for plump, unwrinkled skin. Wrinkles often indicate that the fruit is overripe and beginning to dry out.
• Aromatic Cues: A ripe kiwi will emit a fragrant, sweet, and fruity scent at the stem end.

Pro-Tip: If your kiwis are hard, you can ripen them faster by placing them in a paper bag on the counter with a banana or an apple. These fruits release ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process.

This is the cleanest, most efficient way to peel a kiwi while preserving as much of the edible fruit as possible.

1. Slice the Ends: Place the kiwi on a cutting board. Use a sharp paring knife to cut the top and bottom ends off, creating two flat surfaces.
2. Insert the Spoon: Take a standard metal spoon (ensure the edges are not too thick) and slide the tip right between the green flesh and the fuzzy brown skin.
3. Rotate and Scoot: Push the spoon down into the fruit, hugging the contour of the skin. Rotate the kiwi in your hand while gently scooting the spoon around the entire circumference.
4. Pop It Out: Once you have made a full circle, the perfectly peeled cylinder of kiwi will easily slide right out of the skin.

If you do not have a spoon handy or simply prefer using different kitchen tools, here are three highly effective alternative methods:

• The Vegetable Peeler Method: This works best for kiwis that are still slightly firm. Hold the kiwi securely and use a sharp Y-peeler to strip the skin away in downward strokes, just like you would peel a potato.
• The Paring Knife Method: Cut off the top and bottom ends so the kiwi can stand flat on the cutting board. Slice downward, following the curve of the fruit, to remove the skin in strips.
• The Glass Trick: Slice the unpeeled kiwi in half horizontally. Take one half and line up the edge of a sturdy drinking glass right between the skin and the flesh. Push down, allowing the glass to scoop the flesh out while the skin stays on the outside.

Proper storage is the key to preventing food waste and ensuring your kiwis maintain their optimal texture and flavor.

• Unripe & Whole: Store on the kitchen counter at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. They will typically ripen in 3 to 7 days.
• Ripe & Whole: Move them to the crisper drawer in your refrigerator. This pauses the ripening process and keeps them fresh for up to 2 weeks.
• Peeled & Sliced: Place the kiwi pieces in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy them within 2 to 3 days for the best quality.