Are you worried that you have bought too many kiwis and that some of them are going to spoil? That is why you began to wonder: can kiwi be frozen?
the short answer
You can freeze sliced, whole, or pureed kiwi, but you need to remember that the fruit will be soft and mushy after thawing. That means eating it on its own or adding it to a fruit salad is not a good idea, and it will be much better if you add it to a smoothie or use it in cooked dishes.
That is the essence of freezing kiwis.
Interested in learning more? Here’s what we cover next:
- how does freezing affect the kiwi
- how to freeze and thaw kiwi
- frequently asked questions about freezing kiwis
Let’s get into it.
Can kiwi be frozen?
You can freeze kiwi in several ways: sliced, whole, or pureed. The thing to remember is that fruit will be soft and mushy after thawing, and it works best in smoothies and cooked dishes that don’t rely on its texture.
To illustrate the point, here’s a thawed kiwi slice:
As you can see, it’s super soft, so it might not be a great choice to eat on its own or add to a fruit salad. Unless you don’t mind the kiwi being mushy, of course.
So probably the best way to use a frozen and thawed kiwi is a smoothie, where everything is mixed together anyway, and the fact that the kiwi was soft doesn’t change much.
Finally, it’s best to have a plan for how you’re going to use the kiwi after you thaw it. This way, you’ll know how to prepare it so it’s ready to use once it’s thawed.
Other considerations
Kiwis last a long time in the fridge, even a couple of weeks. That, in most cases, gives you plenty of time to check your supply without having to freeze the fruit.
In other words, only freeze kiwis if you know they will go bad before you can eat them.
Related: How long do kiwis last?
And if you bought a bunch of green kiwis, you can keep them in the fridge for even more storage time.
Related: How to store kiwis?
Lastly, only freeze kiwis that are ripe. I haven’t tried it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a frozen green kiwi (even if you froze it whole) would never ripen properly and develop its characteristic flavor properly.
Knowing that, it’s time to cover how to freeze kiwis.
How to freeze kiwi?
Freezing kiwis is a simple process. This is how you do it:
- Homework. Peel and chop or chop all the kiwis that you want to freeze. You take care of the preparation now so that the fruit is ready to use after thawing. Also, you can use the kiwi while it is still frozen.
- Pre-freeze. Take a cookie sheet, cover it with a silicone mat or aluminum foil, and arrange all the slices in a single layer so they are not touching each other. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer and leave it there until the pieces freeze. That usually takes 2-3 hours, but you can also leave it in the freezer overnight.
- Transfer frozen slices to a freezer bag. Once the slices are rock solid, you can transfer them all to a single bag. Since they’re all pre-frozen, they won’t freeze together, and you can easily scoop out as many slices as you need when you need them.
- Place the bags in the freezer. Feel free to label the bag with the name and date before tossing it in the freezer.
That’s all. The entire procedure should not take more than 10 minutes, including cutting the fruit.
Now that the kiwi is in the freezer, you may be wondering how long you can freeze kiwi for.
How long does kiwi last in the freezer?
There’s no answer set in stone, but the sooner you use the fruit, the better quality you should expect.
That being said, try to use your frozen kiwi within 1-3 months. This way, it should still be good enough quality-wise, and you should still vaguely remember freezing the fruit.
The longer it stays in the freezer, the greater the chance that you’ll forget about it only to find it buried under other food while cleaning out the freezer in a year or two.
Of course, if it stays in the freezer for longer than those three months (or half a year), it will still be safe to eat. Just make sure to check the quality before using it.
How to defrost frozen kiwi?
If you need to thaw your frozen kiwi, transfer as many slices as you need from the freezer to an airtight container and into the refrigerator. The slices need to thaw overnight if you start thawing them at night.
Warning
If you are thawing a whole kiwi or a bunch of slices, start the process early and allow the fruit to thaw for at least 10-12 hours.
After thawing, you will be left with soft kiwi slices and a bit of water. This is how it might look:
Drain that water before using the fruit.
Alternatively, in many cases, you can skip thawing the kiwi at all. For example, that’s the case when you use the fruit in a smoothie (make sure your blender can handle ice cubes, though).
How to use frozen kiwi?
If you’ve only eaten kiwi on its own or in a fruit salad until now, I have good news: there are plenty of cooked or baked dishes you can use your thawed kiwis in.
Here are a couple of ideas you might consider:
- kiwi bread (similar to banana bread but with a kiwi instead)
- kiwi muffins (you can make muffins with almost anything, so why not kiwis?)
- kiwi cupcakes
- Kiwi cake
- milkshake
For a longer list, check out this article from insanelygoodrecipes.com. Or google “kiwi recipes” for even more ideas for using your thawed kiwis.
Frequently asked questions about freezing kiwis
Can whole kiwi be frozen?
You can freeze the whole kiwi, but it’s best to do all the prep before putting the fruit in the freezer. That means peeling it and slicing or dicing it, depending on your needs.
As you already know, kiwi becomes mushy and mushy after thawing, making it a bit difficult to peel and slice.
Of course, if you are not very sure how you are going to use the kiwi after defrosting it, remove the skin and freeze it whole, well wrapped.
Can I freeze kiwi with the skin on?
You can freeze the kiwi with the skin on, but you’ll probably regret it. Kiwis get mushy and mushy after thawing, and if you’ve ever peeled a mushy fruit or vegetable, you know that’s a pain.
It’s doable, of course, but it’s much better to spend a minute or two peeling the fruit before freezing it.
However, if you are going to use the fruit with the skin on, feel free to leave the kiwi unpeeled.
Can kiwi puree be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze pureed kiwi. If you need kiwi puree in whatever you’re cooking, pureeing the fruit before freezing is definitely the way to go.
This is how kiwi puree is frozen:
- Homework. Peel and puree all the kiwis you have.
- Freeze in an ice cube tray. Pour the puree into an ice cube tray and place that tray in the freezer until the puree is frozen. It usually takes two to three hours, but feel free to leave the tray in the freezer overnight.
- Transfer the cubes. Once the cubes are rock solid, open them up and transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. This gives them some protection from freezer burn and frees up your ice cube tray. Label the container with the name and date if necessary.
- Put them back in the freezer. Return the pureed kiwi cubes to the freezer, where they can sit until needed.
Those frozen kiwi puree cubes work great in smoothies, where you can use them in place of ice cubes. That gives the shake a bit more flavor without diluting it with extra water from the ice cubes.
