With an exotic tropical sweetness and tangy zing, kiwis are one of our favorite fruits to dehydrate for snacking. It’s also a fruit with a fascinating history.
Kiwifruit, commonly shortened to kiwi, is actually a type of wild gooseberry native to China—the earliest recorded mention comes from the 12th century Song Dynasty. In the early 20th century, the cultivation of kiwi spread to New Zealand, where farmers started calling it “kiwifruit” due to its brown, fuzzy exterior—similar to the kiwi bird. Kiwifruit was a hit with servicemen and women stationed on the island during WWII and after the war, the fruit was imported to Europe and then later the United States.
Kiwis are now cultivated in the United States as well, primarily in California. They come into peak season during the months of November, December, and January. This limited window is why it’s a great idea to dehydrate kiwis when they are freshest (and cheapest).
Dried kiwi chips are soft, chewy, sweet, and sour. They’re basically nature’s equivalent to a sweet & sour gummy candy—and they’re equally addictive!
Prepping Kiwis For Dehydrating
Before you start prepping your kiwi, make sure your counters, equipment, and hands are clean & sanitized to prevent contamination, which can spoil your batch down the line.
Remove the skin: Cut each kiwi in half and gently run a spoon between the fruit and the skin to remove, or you can use a peeler and peel the skin (pole to pole works best). The skin is totally edible, so if you want you can leave it on—just make sure you wash them thoroughly.
Slice the kiwis: Using a sharp knife, slice the kiwis about ¼” thick. Try to keep the pieces to a uniform size to help with even drying.
Sprinkle with sugar (optional): After arranging the slices on the trays, top each slice with a pinch of sugar. This is totally optional but can help balance out the sour punch of particularly tart kiwis.
Arrange the kiwi slices on your dehydrator trays. Make sure to leave some space between the pieces to allow air to circulate. If you want, sprinkle with sugar as mentioned above.
Dehydrate at 135ºF (52ºC) for 6-12 hours until the kiwis are dry and leathery.
Depending on your machine, you may need to rotate the trays periodically to promote even drying.
Kiwi can also be dried in the oven. Place a metal cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and arrange the slices. Place it in the oven at the lowest temperature your oven will go. You may want to prop the door open a few inches to help the moisture escape during the first two hours or so (careful if you have children or pets!). Drying time will be up to half as fast as dehydrating due to the higher heat.
Shangluo Wal Nut Company is processors, packagers and distributors of dried kiwi fruit slices, we have established long business cooperation with 130 kiwifruit planters, covering 6667 hectare of kiwifruit orchards in Shaanxi Province, China. If you are interested in dried kiwi fruit and would like to lean more, welcome to contact us @ email: sales@xinwalnut.com and WhatsApp: +8618616568786.
