Kiwifruit are the last of the deciduous fruits to be harvested. most commercial crops are harvested in May, at this time they can be stored for a long time and really only ripen when taken from cold storage then allowed to ripen. However when left on the vine to ripen and harvested in July they are fully ripe and can be eaten straight away. They do not store as long BUT their taste is amazingly great.
Our Kiwifruit had a bit of disaster this season when in April a large stringy bark branch crashed right through the middle breaking the trellis posts , wires and plants.
Now the kiwifruit has been harvested I can get in and prune them before replacing the posts and wires.
Kiwifruit are great to eat fresh, their refreshing taste is so good and blends well with winter climate. They also add a zing to a green salad and go well on a cheese platter. As with most fruits they can also be turned into cakes,topping sorbets ,chutneys and jam.
They also dry extremely well , although they are time consuming to peel.They also blunted knives rather quickly. We like dried kiwifruit in our porridge and muesli . They also glace nicely.