Kiwi Fruit : Facts, Nutrition plus a Recipe for a Low Carb Kiwi Fruit and Blackberry Cake

Kiwi fruit

The brown and hairy exterior of this egg-shaped fruit doesn't look promising, but inside it's a different story - sweet, yielding, bright green flesh, prettily dotted with black seeds.

The flavour is distinctive but hard to pin down - some say it's like strawberry, others say pineapple. Its named after the bird of the same name from Zealand, where it's also grown, though its other name, Chinese gooseberry, reflects its original country of origin.

Very high in vitamin C, kiwi fruit is far better eaten raw - cooking it destroys the vitamin content and the green colour. The enzymes it contains makes it good for tenderising meat, but they'll also cause milk to curdle and will prevent gelatine and aspic from setting, so don't attempt kiwi ice cream or jelly.

Availability
All year round.
Choose the best
Go for firm fruit that gives slightly when gently squeezed. Avoid wrinkled and bruised fruit.
Prepare it
Peel off the skin with a knife or vegetable peeler, then chop or slice. Alternatively, to eat it as a snack, cut in half and scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon.
Store it
If ripe, keep in the fridge - they'll last around at week. If under-ripe, keep at room temperature.

Back in 2011 Eddie wrote "Check out the nutrients in a kiwi fruit. OK at around 10 carbs per 100 grams it’s a bit carby. When you consider the average Kiwi fruit weighs around 70 grams, half is only around 3.5 carbs. Thinly slice and serve with some double cream, great grub and very high in vitamin C."

Kiwi Fruit and Blackberry Clotted Cream Cake

Low In Carbs

Ingredients

100 grams of ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon of melted butter
2 tablespoons of double (heavy) cream
One Kiwi fruit
100 grams of blackberries
125 grams of clotted cream

Method
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
Melt the butter in a Pyrex jug/dish, add the eggs, cream.
Add the dry ingredients and mix.
Pour mix into a 6" x 3" micro-wave safe glass dish.
Microwave in a 700watt for 4 minutes.
Allow to cool and cut in half.
Spread on extra thick clotted cream add the sliced kiwi fruit.
Place top on cake and cover with clotted cream and add the blackberries.
Tastes fantastic serves six.

A variety of recipe ideas/articles are found within this blog, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan