Kiwi is a very sweet fruit even though the exterior which is brown and hairy is not appetizing. The interior is contained of small black seeds with a flesh that is bright green. It tastes like a perfect mix of a pineapple and a strawberry. Kiwi is a great fruit that can be eaten alone and also it can be added to dishes giving the fruity zing. If you want to add extra flavor to your meals and dishes, most especially desserts, kiwi is the real deal.
Some questions may come up in your mind and you may be forced to ask whether or not you can cook kiwi and even if you are safe to do so. You can cook kiwi and we have different types of recipes that kiwi fruits are used in cooking, most of those recipes are mainly desserts. However, it is best to eat kiwi fruit raw because cooking it will destroy the content of vitamins in it and it will also dull its green color.
How To Use Kiwi For Cooking
Contained in kiwi fruit are enzymes in high contents and it makes it perfect to be used to tenderize meat. Whenever you are left with very tough meat, chop some kiwi and rub the kiwi around the tough meat, then allow the meat to get marinated for some time. After a while, the enzymes contained inside the kiwi breaks down the meat’s toughness and your meat will become softer and more edible.
However, you should not use kiwi with milk because it will cause the curdling of milk. It also will not allow the setting of gelatin and that means kiwi must not be used to make jelly or ice cream. Using kiwi fruits in puddings is the best method to use it such as pavlova, used to marinate meat or that is blended into a smoothie.
Ways To Enjoy Kiwi Fruit
Kiwi is classified to be a very versatile fruit and it has a very distinctive taste. You can incorporate kiwi in your meals daily in several ways to get an extra fruity flavor. Check below for some ways you can use both cooked and raw kiwi:
Dried: It is very delicious to eat dry kiwi and it is also an excellent way you can store your kiwi fruits for a longer time and you can also dehydrate the kiwi yourself.
Salsa: You can use kiwi in salsa, mix some chopped kiwi, lime juice, honey, cilantro, peppers, and mangos that you will use as a side for tortilla chips.
Sweet and Sour: Use salsa that is made from mango, mint, and kiwi to top your cooked beef, pork, or lamb. Season your meat with ginger, nutmeg, and cumin to go together with the kiwi flavor.
Parfait: When you want to make yourself kiwi parfait, layer some granola, low-fat yogurt, and sliced kiwi into a bowl or glass. Add some nuts or honey for extra sweetness and crunch.
Jam: kiwi jam can be made by boiling up and reducing down the mixture of sugar, pineapple juice, apples, lemon juice, and kiwi. You can use it as toppings by spreading it on slices of bread or desserts.
Smoothie: Thanks to the strong flavor of kiwi, it is an excellent fruit that can be used in your smoothie. To get some awesome smoothie, mix banana, kiwi, and some other fruits like papaya or apple together with low-fat yogurt or skim milk. Add baby spinach for more nutrients, your kiwi will mask that flavor completely.
Cold kick: To get yourself some refreshing cool drinks by blending a teaspoon of sugar, some mint, frozen lemonade, a kiwi, and some ice to get a frozen delicious treat.
Garnish: You can use kiwi wonderfully well on top of any dish by slicing and peeling properly. Either side of your sliced kiwi can be grilled and place for extra flavor on chicken breasts.
Plain: You can eat kiwi alone because it is delicious and you can cut it into half using a spoon to scoop out the flesh inside the kiwi. Kiwi skin is sometimes eaten for extra fiber.
Cobbler: If you want to make a kiwi cobbler, mix a dash of nutmeg, muffin mix, flour, lemon juice, brown sugar, and some kiwi. Once you have cooked it, ensure you serve the cobbler warm with cold yogurt or ice cream.
Why Kiwi Is Good For You
When you cook kiwi, some of the nutrients will be destroyed but that is very fine if you use it to flavor meals. If, however, you want to eat your kiwi for the benefits of health alone, you are recommended not to cook it and instead try to eat it raw. A cup of kiwi will give you a source for vitamin K and C and also a huge amount of potassium and folate. A cup of kiwi has a calorie count of only 110. When you eat two raw kiwis per day, you will get the benefits below:
- It helps to reduce inflammation
- It helps to support your immune system
- It helps to maintain regularity as well as when you don’t eat the skin.
- It helps to lower triglycerides or blood fats.
- It helps to lower clotting by thinning the blood, similar effects to that of aspirin.
How To Buy A Ripe Kiwi
It could be difficult to buy a very ripe kiwi because you won’t get to see the inside of the kiwi to know whether or not it is ripe. Kiwi is a firm fruit, feeling the fruit is considered the best method to tell whether or not it has become ripe. Whenever you want to look for ripe kiwi fruits, look for a firm one, not hard. Don’t buy a mushy or soft kiwi. When you see ripe kiwi fruits, it will possess a floral and sweet aroma. You must watch out for the skin, ensure it is not broken and it should be able to take light pressure. The size of kiwi you decide to buy doesn’t matter because both small and large kiwis have a very good taste when you cook it or eat it raw.
Storing Kiwi
Store your ripe kiwi inside your fridge for about three to five days. Ensure it is left unwashed and unpeeled so that you can extend its shelf life. If you want to allow your kiwi to become ripe, allow it to be at room temperature for about three days until light pressure bounce on it. If you want to speed the process up, put your kiwi inside paper bags at room temperature with bananas until you are sure it becomes ripe enough for you to eat. It is a very simple process.
Types Of Kiwi
You have three types of kiwi fruits that can all be cooked or eaten raw. Their appearances and tastes are different.
Baby kiwi: This kiwi is classified to be the smallest of all of them. You will only find it very early in the fall and it has a grape-size. It has a more intense flavor and also much sweeter than green kiwi.
Gold kiwi: This kiwi has a yellow flesh whose skin is smooth and edible. It is similar to a pair. A gold kiwi has a sweet, mellow, and tropical flavor.
Green kiwi: This is the most commonly sold kiwi in stores. You can buy it all year-round and the skin is fuzzy and light brown. The inside of this kiwi has a flavor that is sweet-tart and the inside of the kiwi is a bright green that has small black seeds that are edible.
Related Questions
Cooking Kiwi
You can cook kiwis using different methods, the most important thing to know is that some of the health benefits and nutrient contents of kiwi will be destroyed when you cook kiwis. It means if you want to eat kiwis for the health benefits, do not cook them, all you have to do is to cut it into half or slice it so that you can enjoy the tropical and fresh snack. The taste of kiwi is unique and it can add topical layers to your dish irrespective of if it is a savory or sweet meal.
Do kiwis have a high sugar content?
Kiwis have a very low content of sugar and that is why people on weight loss find it very useful. It is low in sugar and calories and it is very high in vitamin C and fiber. They are perfect for a diet.
Are kiwis good for weight loss?
Kiwi has a low count of calorie and a high content of fiber, it is a good meal to lose weight. Kiwis are very nutritious and they are very perfect to take as snacks in the day. Kiwi is an antioxidant and it also has a high content of nutrients, it is considered to be a superfood.
What is the best way to eat kiwi fruit?
When you want to eat your kiwi fruit, the best way to do it is to keep it very simple. All you need to do is to simply cut your kiwi into half and proceed to scoop the flesh out by using a spoon. You may have to first peel off the skin of the kiwi. You can prevent a lot of mess by scooping the flesh out using your spoon with the skin acting like a small bowl. You can also eat your kiwi like an apple by slicing it with the skin or without it.
Is it okay to eat the skin of a kiwi?
It is possible to eat the skin of a kiwi and it contains many different nutrients. You will triple the intact fiber of eating the fruit by eating the kiwi skin when you don’t peel the skin, you will also preserve most of its content of vitamin C. It is not everyone that is excited to consume it because the skin could be slightly fuzzy.
