Since 2003, Wild Juniper Farm (formerly Kathy’s Kiwi Berries) has grown and sold kiwi berries. Loved by many fruit savvy customers, consumer education was vital to the berry’s success. The berries are harvested in September. A few tips when buying or consuming kiwi berries.
Kiwi berries are available to ship in early September just after harvest. Find ordering details in our shop and make sure you check for a seasonal discount code! To ship, kiwi berries are packed 6-6-ounce clam packs per box.
Ripening the Berries:
- IMPORTANT! Similar to an avocado, kiwi berries are ready to consume once they soften, an indication that they are at peak ripeness. Once purchased, wash the berries and at room temperature over 3-5 days the berries will turn a darker shade of green and get slightly wrinkled and soft to touch. The berries then are sweet, juicy and ready to enjoy.
- You can hasten the ripening process by placing the berries in a paper bag at room temperature. Refrigerate soften fruit for best storage life for up to two weeks.
As growers we:
- Harvest the berries as they begin the ripening process but BEFORE the fruit softens since it’s difficult to hand pick a soft berry!
- We gauge the perfect harvest time by measuring the Brix (sugar content) and harvest the berries when they reach 7-10 Brix on the vine. Testing the Brix level is our indicator of the fruit’s quality and when to harvest.
- The Brix level and harvest dates typically vary among the berry variety. We normally start harvesting around September 1st.
- As we harvest, we sort the berries daily and then refrigerate as we prepare for market.
We will update our market locations in early September. The berries are typically sold out by mid-October.
