With their distinctive brown skin and sweet green flesh, kiwi makes a delicious fruit for fruit salads, mixed into smoothies for breakfast, or eaten on its own. You probably got this fruit from your local grocery store or market, and want to know if the fruit you bought is still fresh or can be eaten in a few days. To determine if a kiwi fruit is rotten, check for mold on the fruit. You can also smell and hold it to determine the freshness of the kiwi. To avoid future fruit rot, make sure you ripen them properly at home.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Checking Kiwi
Step 1. Check for fungus on the skin and flesh of the fruit
Take a kiwi and inspect it for brown or green patches of fungus. The fungus may look hairy with white patches on the skin or flesh of the fruit.
There may be small mildew spots all over the kiwi or just one area. Due to the small size of the fruit, it is better to remove the moldy fruit than to just cut the moldy part and eat the non-moldy part of the fruit
Step 2. Pay attention to whether the skin or flesh of the fruit looks dry
Notice if the kiwi skin looks dry and wrinkled. The pulp may also look dull and dry with little or no juice. This is a sign that the kiwi fruit has rotted.
Step 3. Check for slack
You can also check for any areas that look wet and mushy, especially the skin. This is also a sign that the kiwi fruit is rotting.
Method 2 of 3: Smelling and Holding a Kiwi
Step 1. Sniff the kiwi for a sour smell
Kiwis that have rotted will give off a slightly sour smell. Sniff the skin and flesh of the fruit to determine if there is an unpleasant odor. If so, the fruit is most likely rotten.
Fresh kiwi fruit smells fresh like citrus and is light with a slight sweet smell
Step 2. Press the kiwi to see if the fruit is firm or mushy
Use your fingers to gently press the fruit. If the fruit feels very firm when pressed, it is most likely not ripe when you bought it and may need more time to ripen, or the fruit is simply of poor quality. If the kiwi fruit is too soft to handle, it means the fruit is rotting.
If the fruit is still very firm, you can ripen it by placing the kiwi on the kitchen counter near the banana or apple for a few days to see if the fruit softens and ripens
Step 3. Hold the flesh of the fruit to see if the flesh is dry
Press the flesh of the fruit carefully with your fingers. If it's dry to the touch, the kiwi fruit is probably rotting.
If when you hold the flesh of the fruit it feels soft and looks runny, the fruit can still be eaten as long as it doesn't smell bad or moldy
Method 3 of 3: Ripening Kiwis Properly
Step 1. Buy kiwis when they are in season
Most kiwifruit are imported from New Zealand or Chile, and the fruiting season is from May to November. Look for kiwis at the grocery store during these months to make sure you're getting the best quality kiwifruit possible. Buying kiwis when they are in season will ensure that they are ripe and contain plenty of water.
Kiwis sold in December through April are likely to be harvested unripe and will not ripen properly when you bring them home
Step 2. Place the unripe kiwi on the table near the banana or apple
Bananas and apples are high in ethylene so they can speed up the ripening process of any fruit nearby. You can place the kiwi with the banana in a paper bag to speed up the ripening process or simply place the kiwi next to the banana or apple in a fruit bowl on the table.
You can also place kiwis next to tomatoes, apricots, figs, cantaloupe, avocados, pears, and peaches to help them ripen faster
Step 3. Put the kiwi in the fridge to keep it fresh
When the kiwi is soft to the touch and smells good, you can put it in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process. If you have a ripe kiwi fruit that has been cut in half, wrap it in plastic or aluminum foil, then refrigerate it. You can also store kiwi slices in an airtight plastic container in the refrigerator.
