A scary thunderstorm brought a sweet reprieve in the heat wave but soon thereafter the weather turned vicious, bearing down on us with 90 degrees of drenching, humidity-soaked sunshine. This time, I was ready with a pineapple kiwi smoothie, a crisp, crowd-pleasing heat beater.
California kiwis are a fall fruit, but kiwis from New Zealand are available the rest of the year. I try to buy locally grown fruits and vegetables, but I love kiwis, so I buy them when I see them in the supermarket, even though they’re likely grown halfway around the world.
Kiwis last a long time in my fridge, useful when you want to make a refreshing kiwi pineapple smoothie out of season. When I remember, I peel and freeze California kiwis for use in the sweaty doldrums of summer.
Peeling kiwis for a smoothie is simple. Slice off the bottom and carve out the stem end, then make a shallow cut through the hairy skin from top to bottom of the kiwi. Place the kiwi in the freezer for about 20 minutes or so (until it’s hard), remove it, and the skin should slip off in one piece. You can’t use this trick when you need fresh kiwi, but it’s perfect for kiwis you’re using in a smoothie.
The texture of this smoothie is more like sorbet, but you can make it as thin or thick as you like depending on the capacity of your blender and how much ice you use. I like it thick, and luckily my Vitamix blender can handle a lot of ice and frozen fruit. Don’t overdo it or you’ll overheat your blender. (I’ve done this.)
I add a whole peeled lemon to this smoothie to make it sweet and tart. (I learned the value of acid in food by reading Samiin Nasrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat. Her book has improved the flavor of my cooking immensely.) You can substitute a lime or fresh or frozen lemon or lime juice, but don’t leave it out, or the smoothie will taste blah.
Pineapple Kiwi Smoothie
Cold and refreshing, this smoothie pairs fresh kiwi with frozen pineapple and a tart touch of lemon.
Ingredients
- 8 kiwis, peeled
- 1 lemon, peeled and seeded
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia
- 2 cups frozen pineapple
- 2 cups ice
- 3/4 cup cold water
Instructions
Put the ingredients into a blender, in order, ending with the ice on top.
Pour in the cold water, and blend until creamy.
Pour into glasses and enjoy!
Start with 8 kiwis.
Cut out the stem end of each kiwi.
Slice off the bottom of each kiwi.
Make a single slice through the kiwi skin from top to bottom. Put all the kiwis in the freezer until hard, about 20 minutes or longer.
Remove the kiwis from the freezer, and pinch the skins. They should slip off easily.
If you leave the kiwis in the freezer too long, that’s OK. The skins may be a little harder to peel.
Put the peeled kiwis into the blender.
Cut the lemon in half, take out the seeds, and peel it. Put it into the blender with the kiwis.
Add 2 cups of frozen pineapple.
Add two cups of ice, then pour 3/4 cup of cold water over the top. Blend until smooth.
Serve immediately.
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