It can be hard to tell when a kiwi fruit has gone bad, since the fruit doesn’t show many outward signs of aging. Due to this you will need to find other ways to tell if a kiwi has gone bad and know how to store kiwis to stop them from going bad in the first place.

Quick Answer

Once ripe, kiwi will go bad in less than a week, depending on when they became ripe, but they can last up to four weeks in the refrigerator. At the same time, it can take a kiwi up to a week to ripen, and unripe kiwi can go bad in the wrong storage conditions just as easily as ripe kiwi can.

Knowing how to identify and store kiwi at different stages of development is important if you want to use them.

Do Kiwis Go Bad? How Long Do Kiwis Last?

Kiwis, like all fruit, have a somewhat short shelf life outside of the refrigerator or freezer and this shelf life can be affected by how ripe they are.

How Long Do Kiwis Last Outside

Fresh kiwi fruit can last up to six days outside of an appliance, depending on how ripe they are when you buy them and where you keep them, since the shelf life of kiwi depends on both.

Kiwis continue to ripen after they are picked and it can take up to a week for an unripe kiwi to mature, so an extremely unripe kiwi can technically survive almost two weeks before going bad.

There are ways to control the ripening process, either accelerating it to make unripe kiwi age faster or slowing it down to help ripe kiwi last a little longer.

How Long Do Kiwis Last in the Fridge

In the refrigerator, kiwi fruit can last up to four weeks before it starts to go bad since the cold of the fridge slows down the aging and ripening process, allowing the fruit to last longer.

While this helps ripe fruit last survive much longer than normal, it can actually damage unripe fruit since it can stop kiwis from ripening properly, leaving them hard, bitter, and bristly.

You should only store ripe kiwis in the refrigerator to make sure that you don’t ruin any unripe kiwis before they get a chance to fully develop, so always check your kiwis before refrigerating them.

How Long Do Kiwis Last in the Freezer

Kiwis can survive up to a year in the freezer as long as they are stored correctly, otherwise they can go bad in a matter of days just like in the pantry.

The extreme cold of a freezer can slow the aging process in kiwis to a crawl, but it can also cause severe damage to the fruit and cause it to go bad even faster.

It is important that you only store ripe kiwis in the refrigerator and you never store them whole, as unripe, whole kiwis are more likely to suffer in the extreme cold and turn bad.

Conclusion

Kiwis only last a few days in the pantry, but they can last for weeks in the fridge or a year in the freezer as long as they are ripe.

How To Tell If Kiwis Have Gone Bad / How To Know Kiwis Are Fresh

Outwardly, kiwis don’t show many signs that they have gone bad so to check the relative freshness of your kiwi you will have to look at other factors. These tips can also apply to checking the ripeness of kiwis, since they keep ripening after getting picked and unripe kiwis are difficult to eat.

Texture. Unripe kiwis are extremely hard and bristly, as the fruit under the skin has not softened from the ripening process. This means that ripe kiwis are softer both on the surface and when squeezed, but they should still have some firmness to them. Kiwis that have gone bad will have extremely soft, wrinkly skin and will squish when any pressure is applied to them.

Acidic Smell. Unripe and ripe kiwis to have a tropical, fruity scent, but it is not particularly acidic and should be pleasant, especially as the fruit ripens. As it goes bad, however, the fruit will begin to develop a strong acidic smell that you can detect even through the skin, so this scent is a clear sign you should throw the fruit out.

Strange Patches. If you find dark or discolored patches on the inside or outside of your kiwi fruit you should throw it out as soon as possible. Dark patches can be either bruises, a sign of aging, or mold, all of which indicate that your kiwi fruit is too old to safely eat and should be thrown away.

How to Store Kiwis?

When it comes to storing kiwis, your main concerns should be the environment the fruit is in and whether or not it is ripe, as both are important factors to consider in storage. The refrigerator and freezer are only good for ripe kiwis, so the pantry is the main area where storage methods become an issue.

Environment. Keep kiwi fruit away from any source of heat and moisture, since they are more likely to age and turn bad in these conditions. Put your kiwis in a bowl or container away from any open windows, sinks, or heat producing appliances and you will get the most out of their shelf life.

Can You Freeze Kiwis? How?

Kiwis can be frozen for long term storage but the process is not straightforward and any mistakes could result in your kiwi being ruined by the extreme cold. Beyond making sure your kiwis are ripe before you place them in the freezer, there are a few other steps you need to consider when freezing kiwi fruit.

Never freeze whole kiwis. Freezing a whole kiwi can cause damage to both the skin and the fruit so you need to somehow peel, slice, or process the kiwi to make it safe for freezing. Good options for storage including slicing, juicing, and using a melon baller on the fruit, as long as you store the kiwis in a freezer safe container.

Make sure they won’t bruise. Until they freeze solid, kiwis are very susceptible to bruising, deforming, or otherwise getting damaged depending on where you put them. Make sure your kiwis are put on a flat, even surface without anything nearby to fall or lean on them, otherwise they might freeze in a damaged position.

How to Thaw Kiwis?

The best way to thaw frozen kiwis is by letting them sit in the refrigerator until they become soft again.

If you take the kiwi out of the freezer and let it thaw on the counter or try to defrost it with heat, the fruit will become extremely soft and essentially inedible, so you need to take the thawing process slowly.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kiwis’ Shelf Life

Between ripening, aging, the threat of going bad, and the variety of storage needs you have to consider for keeping kiwis, it can be difficult to know how to handle the fruit at times. This article will take two common questions about the shelf life of kiwi fruit and provide some answers for them.

Can you eat unripe kiwi fruit? Yes, you can technically eat unripe kiwi fruit since there is nothing dangerous about the fruit before it becomes ripe. The main issues are that the underdeveloped skin and fruit are both physically tough and less flavorful than a ripe kiwi, so it is usually better to let them ripen than to eat them unripe.

Can you make kiwis ripen faster? Yes, as fruit becomes ripe it produces gases that encourage the aging process so you can make fruit ripen faster by putting it in a vented container with other fruit. For kiwis, use paper or plastic bags and make sure to store them with another fruit like a banana or apple to help speed up the process.

Wrap Up

Kiwis are a delicate fruit with a short shelf life so you need to be careful when deciding how to store them long term. Kiwi fruit can last from a few days to almost a year depending on where and how you keep them.