4 golden or green kiwifruit, peeled
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon agave nectar* OR simple syrup
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender. Pulse until smooth. Pour the mixture into a ice cream maker and churn, about 15 minutes or until frozen and creamy. Serve as is, or freeze until more solid.
*Agave nectar is an natural sweetener that is 1 1/2 times sweeter than sugar. I love to use it in drinks and frozen desserts because dissolves instantly in liquids, and I don’t have to bother making simple syrup. It also has a low glycemic index (if that is a concern) and since it is natural, there is no aftertaste. I use 100% Organic Partida Agave Nectar.
My thoughts:
You might be wondering why this kiwi gelato is yellow and not bright green. I made it using the lovely golden kiwi that my friend Heather nicely picked up for me at Trader Joe’s this weekend. I’ve had golden kiwi in the past but haven’t been able to find them in years. They are very similar to regular kiwifruit, but their skin is less bristly and they have a higher vitamin C content. I also think they taste less acidic. Anyway, what better, more refreshing way to use kiwi is there than gelato? It has been in the upper ’90s for days now, and I needed some relief. I made this recipe so it makes roughly two servings (no leftovers means I can move on and make my next frozen treat!) but it can easily be doubled or even tripled to make this simple, healthy dessert for a crowd.
And let me just mention how difficult it is to photograph gelato when it is over 95 degrees out and you don’t have air conditioning. It took about 30 seconds to go from a frozen scoop to completely liquid.
OMG. Just made the leap from PeachPod and I am drooling–and not because of a strange medical condition, but because all of your stuff looks phenomenal! Yum.
fabulous!
must. get. ice cream. maker.
stay cool..relief comes thursday!
I too love golden kiwis. I find that they’re always sweeter than their green counterparts. This gelato looks fabulous!
That tears it. I’m buyin’ an ice cream maker as soon as I’ve got the scratch. Do you use a manual model or should I spring for one of those electric ones?
Jim: it is worth it to invest in an electric one. So much easier and faster! I have this one.
This looks so good and refreshing!
Think I could do this with soymilk? It looks so refreshing! 🙂
Vicki: I bet you could, if it was a soymilk that froze well. Another alternative would be my kiwi sorbet which is totally vegan.
Gorgeous! I’m definitely going to try this. BTW, I’ve been blogging a bit about using agave nectar in baking. Please let me know what you think. I’d like your opinion. Thanks!
gold kiwis are the best! we tried them for the first time yesterday, and we’re hooked. unfortunately, they all come from New Zealand, so a lot of food miles on those bad boys. perhaps we should make them a ‘once in a while’ food …
What kind of milk did you use?! Woudl it work with skim milk?
I used 2%. I always use 2% unless I specifically call for something different. I don’t use skim milk, but you are welcome to try it.
This just sealed the deal for me. I must make gelato tonight!
So I’m currious if anyone can answer this question for me. This is the second kiwi gelato recipe I’ve seen blogged about this summer. After seeing the first blog post about it, and having a dozen kiwi sitting around, I thought I would give it a try. Then, after finding 2% greek yoghurt at TJ’s, I decided to make kiwi frozen yoghurt instead (same basic recipe, just sub yoghurt for the milk). I blended everything in the blender and tasted to make sure there was enough sugar. There was, but it tasted a little bit bitter. I ignored that and put it to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. When I went to freeze it in the ice cream maker I tasted it again and it tasted like bile (VERY bitter). After a quick internet search Wikipedia gave me the following info: “Raw kiwifruit is also rich in the protein-dissolving enzyme actinidin, which is commercially useful as a meat tenderizer but can be an allergen for some individuals. Specifically, people allergic to papayas or pineapples are likely to be allergic to kiwifruit also.
This enzyme, which is quickly destroyed by boiling the fruit, makes raw kiwifruit unfit for use in desserts containing milk or any other dairy products. The enzyme will start to dissolve the milk proteins within a few minutes, leaving a very unpleasant bitter taste.”
So why do both blogged about gelato recipes contain both raw kiwi and milk, but no one has reported bitter gelato? Does it have something to do with the amount of protein in the yoghurt compared to milk? Just curious if anyone else has any insight as to what’s going on.
I had kiwi gelato during a recent trip to florence, and I’ve been fiending for it since I got back to the states…. I’m going to have to make this!
My gelato was not bitter at all and I frequently use fresh kiwi and dairy products together with great results-never even a hint of bitterness. I certianlly wouldn’t post a recipe that was “bitter”. I think the problem must be in the variety of kiwifruit you are using.
Rachel,
I never meant to imply that you would post a recipe that wasn’t what you said it was (delicious and edible), I am just curious to know if anyone has an explaination for the difference in experiences of using kiwi and milk products. I used standard green kiwi (I can’t remember if they were from New Zealand or Washington State). Maybe, like you said, the variety makes a difference.
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This gelato looks wonderful. I’ve just posted it to my del.ici.ous file for future reference. Not too long ago I made a kiwi sorbet (no dairy) because I’d read about the negative impact kiwi has on dairy. Now I’m going to be on the lookout for golden kiwi. Thanks!