The tough, fuzzy skin on a kiwi isn’t dangerous to eat, but there are times when you may not want to consume it. Perhaps you’re making a marinade for chicken, where the fruit’s enzymes are working to tenderize your poultry. Maybe you’re whipping up a kiwi-infused quick bread full of sweet and tangy flavor, or possibly you’re just eating these treats raw. In these instances, you won’t want the rough texture of the peel included in your recipe, so you’ll need to remove it beforehand. But this process can get a little tricky due to the fruits’ small size, which means that using a knife to skin them can cost you a good amount of the valuable insides as well.
Luckily, there’s a better way to peel a kiwi. All you need is a small glass cup, such as a shot glass. Simply cut your fruit in half lengthwise, then press the area where the skin meets the flesh against the outside lip of the glass and slide the fruit downwards. The peel should easily separate from the flesh inside, giving you a clean cut and leftover skin that doesn’t have any meat clinging to it. It’s quick, painless, and only takes a few seconds for each half. Plus, your glass will catch any extraneous juices along with the skinless kiwi.
Cut your kiwi to fit your needs
Youtube / DaveHax
There are a few different variations on this technique that you can play with, depending on how difficult your kiwi is to work with. In general, a riper fruit will peel easier, while an unripe one may be harder to separate from the skin. If you slice your kiwi lengthwise, as we mentioned, you’ll want to start by stacking it vertically on top of the glass and sliding it down narrow-end first. But if you want to cut yours in half widthwise, you can pretty much start at any point on the fruit, although you may have to begin with the insides face-down into the glass to get the skin to start separating.
To make this as easy as possible (provided you don’t mind sacrificing a little of the fruit), begin by cutting off each end of the kiwi. Then slice it in half lengthwise and slide each chunk down the glass as we’ve discussed. Because the fruit starts off with a sharper edge this way, it should be easier to wedge the edge of your cup between the skin and the flesh. Whichever of these variations you choose, you’ll end up with juicy, ready-to-eat fruit much quicker than if you used a knife or a vegetable peeler.
