Can You Eat Kiwi Fruit Skin?

image001The taste of kiwi fruits is similar to a mixture of bananas, pineapples and strawberries, and is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Not only is its flavor rich and tasty, the kiwi fruit also contains Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Omega-3 fatty acid, Alfa-Linoleic acids and more. Can you eat kiwi fruit skin? The brown, fuzzy peel of the kiwi fruit is as edible as the fruit’s green flesh. In addition, the black seeds inside can also be eaten, so there should be no waste in eating this incredible fruit.

Can You Eat Kiwi Fruit Skin?

Though the outside of a kiwi might appear unappealing and unappetizing, you might be surprised that it is as rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants as the kiwi flesh itself. The brown, fuzzy peel is perfectly edible and does not by itself contain harmful substances. Instead, it is rich in flavonoids, insoluble fibers, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic properties. In addition, the skin contains thrice the number of the antioxidants in the pulps, and also combats dreaded bacteria like Staphylococcus and E-coli.

Precautions

  • Wash Properly before Eating

However, you should always remember to wash your kiwi fruit thoroughly before eating it. While raw kiwi fruit peel is edible and contains all these beneficial substances, it may also contain almost, if not all, pesticides used by the farmers in producing your fruit. And even if your kiwi fruit is grown organically, inedible debris like dust particles may have accumulated on the skin and thus necessitates washing.

Some people also get tickled down their throats by the hairy part of the peel. If you think you will as well, then you should remove the hairy layer first before eating the skin. This is also a helpful tip as most inedible debris, such as dust particles, accumulates on the skin during the course of your kiwi fruit’s voyage from the farm to your dining table.

  • Allergic Reactions

Some people are allergic to kiwi fruit and experience an itching in their mouths, lips and palate shortly after eating one. This is a mild reaction common among adults. However, young children can have a very severe reaction that may include heartburn, rashes, difficulty in breathing or more. The acnitidane in the kiwi fruit, which is also found in bananas, papayas, pineapples and latex, cause this allergic reaction.

How Can You Enjoy Your Kiwi Fruit?

There are numerous ways on enjoying your kiwi fruit other than eating it straight away. Here are a few tips:

1. Chop It in Half and Eat It with a Spoon

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Cut the fruit across its widest part. Just make sure that the knife you will be using in cutting your kiwi fruit is sharp to make chopping easier. Dull knives will make it harder for you to slice your kiwi, as the fruit gets easily separated from its skin.

2. Cut Kiwi Fruit into Circular Slices

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Wash first, leave the skin on or peel it as you like. Cut your kiwi in half across the widest part, and then cut circular slices from each half. Cutting your kiwi this way will also be helpful if you are serving it for your family and friends. In addition, you can also use circular kiwi slices as accents for fancier plating in your other culinary practices. You can also cut your kiwi fruits in other shapes with a sharp knife.

3. Peel the Kiwi Fruit Skin with a Spoon

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This method is often easier than peeling your kiwi fruit with a vegetable peeler—which is both time-consuming and wasteful of the kiwi flesh, especially if your vegetable peeler is dull.

  • Slice off the ends of your kiwi fruit.
  • Slide a spoon underneath the skin at one end carefully.
  • Rotate the fruit slowly and slide the spoon all away around the fruit. Repeat this on the other end.
  • Carefully remove the spoon and gently squeeze the kiwi so that it would slide out of its skin easily.

4. Make Smoothies from Kiwis

Video 1: spinach, kiwi and pomegranate smoothie

Spinach is good against cancer, is anti-inflammatory, and high in antioxidants. Pomegranate juice is a natural sweetener and is only slightly acidic, making it perfect for your healthy smoothie. You will not need to add any sugar or other sweetener in this recipe, because by themselves, pomegranate and kiwi are sweet enough.

Video 2: mango and kiwi smoothie

You will need one ripe mango, four kiwi fruits, a half cup of ice, and two generous scoops of vanilla ice cream. You need to make sure your mango is ripe; otherwise it will not be great for this recipe as only ripe mangoes are sweet.