As customers enter our market in September and October, they are invited to try a “new” fruit: our own homegrown kiwi berries. We get a lot of great questions about this curious fruit, so we’ll try to answer a few of them here.
“What is a kiwi berry?”
A kiwi berry, as the name implies, resembles the kiwi fruit. The taste is slightly sweeter than that of a kiwi fruit but it is the size of a grape. It doesn’t have the fuzz that a full-size kiwi does, so there’s no need to peel it – just pop it in your mouth like you would with a berry.
“What are some ways you can eat a kiwi berry?”
There are many ways to eat kiwi berries! The most common way is to just snack on them, or to include kiwi berries in smoothie, fruit salad or green salad. They can also be substituted for kiwis in any recipe, such as a fruit-tart, kiwi-lime pie, jam or sorbet.
“How do they grow? On a tree…? Or vine…? Or bush…?”
The fast-growing, climbing vine grows on trellises in our orchard.
“How do I know if they are ripe?”
Kiwi berries are ripe when they are nice and soft. They continue to ripen once they have been harvested. If they aren’t quite ripe when you first get them home, place them in a paper bag and leave them on the counter until they ripen.
“Are they available for pick-your-own?”
Yes, absolutely! Pick-your-own kiwi berries are available from mid-September to mid-October. Click here for pick-your-own kiwi berry pricing.
“When are they in season?”
The growing season is a little bit longer than the pick-your-own season. Kiwi berries are available in our market from early September until early November.
“Where do they originate from?”
Kiwi berries are native to Northern China, Korea and Russia.
“Why have I never seen kiwi berries before?”
Kiwi berries were first introduced to the U.S. in the 1800’s, although commercial production was very limited. A newer variety of kiwi berries more suitable to our climate was introduced a few years ago. When we first began cultivating kiwi berries, we were one of the only farms growing them in the United States!