My grandmother peeled kiwis with a paring knife and left a pile of green mush on the cutting board. I loved her, but I did not love losing half the fruit. Then a coworker watched me struggle and said: use a spoon.

It took me one try to get it. Now I can peel a kiwi in under ten seconds with zero waste.

The spoon method

1. Slice off both ends of the kiwi with a knife. Just the tips.
2. Slide a spoon between the flesh and the skin. A teaspoon works, a tablespoon is easier.
3. Turn the spoon around the fruit, hugging the curve of the flesh.
4. Lift the skin off in one piece, like a cap.

The trick is to keep the spoon bowl against the flesh, not the skin. You want to ride the edge where the green meets the brown. Push too deep and you carve out chunks. Push too shallow and you tear the skin.

Why bother

A peeled kiwi tastes different. The fuzzy skin holds onto that tart edge, and half the people I feed refuse to eat a sliced kiwi with the skin on. Peeled, it disappears.

I chop mine into yogurt or just eat them whole like little green eggs. My kids call them dinosaur eggs and ask for seconds.

Faster than it sounds

The whole thing takes less time than washing a knife after the old method. No knife work beyond the two ends, no waste, no bruised fruit. If you pack lunches, this is worth adding to your routine.