How Long Do Kiwis Last and How to Tell if a Kiwi Is Bad?

Here’s all about the shelf life, storage, and going bad of smoked salmon. Learn how long it lasts, what’s the best way to store it, and how to tell if it’s spoiled.

Bought a bunch of kiwis and not sure how long do they last?

Or perhaps you think that your hard-to-the-touch kiwifruit has gone bad, but you’re not quite sure how to tell if kiwi is bad.

Sounds familiar? If so, this article is for you.

Keep reading.

• Shelf life
• Spoilage
• Storage

How Long Does Kiwi Last?

When it comes to storage times, those depend heavily on where you store the fruit and if it’s ripe or not.

An underripe kiwi slowly ripens at room temperature for between two days up to even a week. It all depends on how long it was stored in the supermarket.

Once it’s ripe, it usually keeps for several days at room temperature (if stored alone), and even up to four weeks in the fridge (CK).

In other words, kiwis can last quite a long time in the refrigerator, and you shouldn’t have any issues with eating all of them before they spoil.

	Pantry	Fridge
Unripe kiwi	2 to 7 days, until ripe	up to a month
Ripe kiwi	3 to 6 days	2 to 4 weeks

If you need more time than shown above, you can also freeze kiwis.

Related: Can you freeze kiwi?

One thing to remember is that refrigerating an overripe kiwifruit won’t help it much.

Sure, the low temperature will slow down any further decay, but the damage is already done. It’s best to either eat it right away (if it’s still good to eat) or discard it.

Speaking of knowing if the fruit is still okay to consume…

How To Tell If Kiwi Is Bad?

Checking if kiwifruit is spoiled is no different from checking any other fruit or veggie. You should look out for:

• Changed texture. If the fruit is super soft, mushy, or it starts to ooze, throw it out.
• Off smell. If it smells somewhat acidic instead of citrusy, get rid of it. Please note that this rarely happens.
• Dark spots. If only the skin is darkened, that’s usually okay, as you cut it out either way. But if the pulp starts to darken as well, it’s probably time for it to go. Or you can go about it the same way we go about most veggies – cut out the off part (and then some), and eat the rest. When it comes to the latter option, you do it at your own risk.

How To Store Kiwi

Main article: Do kiwis need to be refrigerated?

Before we talk about storage options for kiwifruit (or kiwi, for short), we need to cover ripeness. Kiwi is most often harvested unripe, as it gives ample time for them to arrive to supermarkets.

What you need to know is that underripe kiwi is firm to the touch and not yet optimal for consumption.

That means your hard kiwi isn’t bad, just not ripe yet. Once the fruit ripens, it gives in a little if you gently squeeze it with your palms.

You can keep an unripe kiwi either in the fridge or at room temperature.

The first option is great if you want to prolong its shelf life for months, and that’s what kiwi sellers often do. But, assuming that you’ve bought the kiwis to enjoy them, leave them at room temperature where they will ripen (NC).

Once kiwi is ripe, you can either leave it at room temperature or refrigerate it.

The former is great if you plan on eating it within a couple of days, while the latter when you’re not quite sure when you’ll eat it. If you leave it on the counter, make sure it doesn’t sit in sunlight, though.

Sources

• CK California Kiwifruit: Storing Kiwifruit
• NC NC State Extension Publications: Kiwifruit