One of the many fun things about being a food blogger is having the opportunity to try out fruits, vegetables and new products that you thought you didn’t really care for. I never had anything against kiwifruits – not like my severe hatred of bananas or coconut where it will completely ruin a dish for me – I just never went for them. I’m not sure if it was the fuzzy skin or the seeds that my brain said, eh I’ll skip you for the strawberries on that fruit platter.
Well, I’m happy to say my brain decided to say, Susan you really need to get outside of the fruit comfort zone and go to a kiwifruit tasting hosted by Zespri Kiwifruit.
Can we say I have a new love as soon as I tried that sweet and juicy fruit? Can we say that I’ve also ordered a whole bunch of Zespri’s new offering SunGold in my Fresh Direct order this week? They took 10 years to develop SunGold so that it would be just perfect when it hit the market for you to enjoy. I can tell you that the 10 year wait was absolutely worth it!
If it was the fuzz that turned you off in the past because you thought you had to peel the fruit the first fun fact that I learned was it isn’t necessary! Just cut in a half and scoop the fruit out! In fact the SunGolds were so juicy, I slurped up the excess juice left in the skin.
As I sipped on the kiwi cocktails and yummy BLK (that’s a bacon, lettuce and kiwi) recipe ideas started swirling around. Kiwi’s are in season from June through October, so now is the season to make the most of them. Nutritionally speaking, a serving is only about 100 calories and that makes up 2 kiwifruits and they have more potassium than a banana. Something to remember as you sip on this easy to make spritzer.
Ingredients
- 3 kiwifruits, flesh scooped
- 2 cups fresh watermelon, cubed
- club soda
- ice
- sliced kiwi for garnish
Instructions
- Place your kiwifruit in the blend and puree until smooth. Pour into the bottom of a small pitcher.
- Add the watermelon to your blender and puree. Place a fine mesh sieve over a small bowl and strain the watermelon juice from the pulp. Add the juice to the pitcher.
- Before serving mix the kiwi and watermelon together.
- Place ice in 4 glasses and pour in the kiwi watermelon juice and top with club soda.
- Makes about 4 servings.
How about a few more fun kiwifruit facts?
Did you know that the skin is actually edible? Now I would exactly sit down and eat one whole but if you are making a smoothie you can go ahead and toss the entire fruit into your blender. No scooping necessary.
Kiwifruit freezes well too! Sticking with the smoothie theme, if you like to make up freezer packs for your smoothies, go ahead and include kiwifruit in there for the future.
Kiwifruit and dairy are not friends! If it sits too long it will break down the dairy and won’t taste good. It’s fine if you’d like to top your yogurt with some but I wouldn’t do much more than that.
For more fun facts and recipes please check out Zespri’s Nutrition and Recipe pages.
Nice addition of watermelon. I could use one right about now.:)
this is just seriously so perfect for summer.. definitely could kick back with a glass right about now. yum!
So refreshing, love the combo of watermelon and kiwi!
This looks like the perfect summer drink! I love kiwi!
this sounds very refreshing!
I love Kiwi!! I have fond memories of my dad and I eating a TON of them! I’m so glad you decided to try them!
I certainly love kiwis but never tried them in a beverage, but it looks great!
Two of my favorite fruits put together – who can resist this?! Looks super refreshing.
So refreshing! I need to try these soon!
How pretty! I would drink this all summer long!
I would have been right there with you in the no kiwi line! This combination with watermelon (one of my favorites) sounds interesting!
Perfect drink to cool off with in the summer! 😀
Oh hellooooooooo pretty refreshment! This sounds divine!
I was poised, vodka in hand waiting for this spritzer! I am one of those people who doesn’t hate kiwi, but totally passes it for other fruit. Love this, love the color!
These kiwi watermelon spritzer looks so refreshing and delicious!
Really? The skin is edible?! Mind blown. I love kiwi but not enough to want to eat that fuzzy skin (although I guess it’d be fine blended up in a smoothie). This drink looks so refreshing (just imagine what a splash of vodka or rum would do!). I can’t get enough of kiwi or watermelon over the summer.
Watermelon + kiwi sounds like the perfect summer refresher!
Ooooo I need to buy kiwi soon. It’s been a while and this drink sounds delish
This looks so amazing! I love that you used kiwi! I feel like I don’t use that enough and this is the perfect recipe to test out!