No Peel Kiwi

~ By Mickey Mom ~

I am sure everyone is familiar with the brown, fuzzy skinned, Kiwi shaped like an egg. WELL..I have news for you!

A couple of years ago, my friend and neighbor invited me to help myself to the prolific Kiwi she grows. Talk about a bonanza!

These are not the brown fuzzy kind tho. They can be eaten right off of the vine as they grow in clusters just like grapes and have smooth sweet skins.

Joan told me you need both male and female plants to get the fruit and she grows them on a heavy trellis type arbor. She also prunes them heavy in the spring. They grow real fast like wisteria.

I cut dishpan after dishpan full of this super sweet fruit and made jam. Turns out the kiwi/crushed pineapple mix is my sons' favorite of all the jams I put up each year.

Besides eating "as is", I sometimes cut a few in half and put them on cottage cheese or in fruit salad. I also have mixed the kiwi with raspberries, strawberries or other fruits for jam and have never been disappointed in the results.

When researching info on the Kiwi, I learned you can't mix them in Jell-O. It won't set up, just like fresh pineapple. I have never tried it and it is probably a good thing. Who wants runny Jell-O anyway??

They are loaded with all sorts of vitamins and contain an enzyme similar to papaya that is real good for you.

The fruit is ready about mid September. I have never seen this fruit offered for sale in markets, probably because they have a very short shelf life. Once you pick them you have to process them or eat within a couple of days or they will turn mushy. Fresh off of the vine the texture is like a big fat sweet grape.

So, that's the scoop of a wonderful variety of Kiwi. Absolutely delicious!

    

         

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