Golden Kiwis Delivery or Pickup

Sweet, juicy, and full of flavor, kiwifruit is a summer staple to add to fruit salads, eat by itself, or blend into smoothies. While most of us are familiar with common or green kiwifruit with their brown and fuzzy skin, golden kiwis are even sweeter than common kiwi. While both the common kiwi and golden kiwi share many similarities, they are distinctly different fruits.

Both varieties of kiwis have brown skin, although the golden kiwi's skin is a light brown color with no fuzz on it. When you slice open a golden kiwi, you notice that the flesh is golden-colored instead of the green found in common kiwis. In addition, the golden kiwi has fewer black seeds in the fruit than its green counterpart. Green kiwi has a sweet yet tangy tropical fruit flavor profile, while golden kiwi has a much sweeter tropical flavor, akin to a cross between strawberry and mango.

Kiwifruit, or Chinese gooseberry, is an edible berry that grows on vines. Kiwifruit is native to central and eastern China. In the early 20th century, cultivators began growing kiwifruit in New Zealand. Early catalogs called the fruit from the Actinidia Deliciosa genus "Chinese gooseberries." When growers in New Zealand began marketing their succulent fruit, they changed the name to kiwifruit, which proved to be a more appealing name. Their namesake is taken from an indigenous bird species found in New Zealand, the kiwi, which is also round, brown, and fuzzy.

Golden kiwis are a different variety of kiwifruit. Golden kiwis are from the Actinidia Chinensis tree, developed and patented by cultivator Zespri. When you see Zespri Gold or SunGold kiwifruit in the store, these are true gold kiwifruit. Golden kiwis are gaining popularity worldwide as consumers enjoy the sweeter flavor profile of these fruits as well as the smooth, fuzz-less outer skin. In fact, instead of having to discard the outer skin as you do with green kiwifruit, you can eat the whole fruit, skin, flesh, and seeds without any waste.

When choosing golden kiwis, look for ones that have a light brown coloration, free from bruises, soft spots, or mold. The fruit should give just slightly under pressure and have a fragrant aroma. Golden kiwis that are ripe have a sweeter taste than those that haven't ripened properly. When golden kiwis are harvested too soon, it's often difficult to ripen them to their full flavor potential.

However, if you come across a golden kiwi that's too soft and has a fermented or alcoholic aroma, it's either too ripe or has gone bad, so avoid using it. If you can only find unripe golden kiwifruit, you can ripen them on the counter for a few days or place them in a paper bag to help speed up the ripening process.

Once your golden kiwis are soft and fragrant, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. After you cut them open, they'll keep for about three days in the refrigerator.

The next time you're craving a sweet and juicy golden kiwi, save time and make your day a little easier when you order golden kiwis through Instacart. Once you place your order through the Insacart app, an Instacart shopper will gather your golden kiwis and deliver them to you the same day!