UNH Wants ‘Kiwiberries’ To Be New Hampshire’s Hottest Fruit

The University of New Hampshire is looking to see if this miniature version of a kiwi fruit could be the next big thing.

Have you ever had a kiwiberry? You may be seeing a lot of them flooding the farmer's markets this fall.

The University of New Hampshire is testing the fruit, which is the size of a berry with a kiwi-like center, across the state. The fruit has been around for 140 years, but has never reached commercial production.

The New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the university is looking to change that and give this "high-value" crop a chance to shine. Researchers have working on making economically viable kiwiberry varieties for small farms in the state.

With their general adaptation to the region, their attractive appearance, intense and complex flavor profiles, high levels of bioactive compounds, and easy consumability, kiwiberries have long been recognized for their potential as a high-value crop in the Northeast. A tender, smooth-skinned relative of the fuzzy supermarket kiwi, grape-sized kiwiberries are tropical-tasting fruits that have grown in the backyards and private gardens of New England for 140 years. Despite this long history in the region, however, virtually no commercial production exists.

The public can sample kiwiberries on the following dates at farmers markets across the state:

• Berlin – Sept. 15
• Lisbon - Sept. 15
• Plymouth - Sept. 15
• Wolfeboro - Sept. 15
• Sandwich - Sept. 17
• Tamworth - Sept. 17
• Wakefield - Sept. 17
• Littleton - Sept. 18
• Nashua - Sept. 18
• Durham - Sept. 19
• Bedford - Sept. 20
• Hanover - Sept. 21
• Merrimack - Sept. 21 and 28
• Dover - Sept. 21
• Manchester - Sept. 22
• Exeter - Sept. 22
• Lebanon - Sept. 22

For more information on the kiwiberry tasting, contact Hale at (603) 862-4653 and Iago.Hale@unh.edu. For more information on the research project, visit www.unh.edu/halelab/kiwiberry/.