Orange jelly w/ golden kiwifruit granita {gluten-free + vegan}

The word kiwi has a multitude of meanings: 1- it’s the name of a small flightless bird, native to NZ. 2- it’s the name we New Zealanders like to call ourselves. 3- it’s the (shortened) name given to one of the world’s most nutrient-dense fruits.

Kiwifruit originate from North-central and Eastern China, but it was in New Zealand, many moons ago, that the first commercial crops were grown and it is in New Zealand still today, just around the corner from where my mum and little sister live in fact, that a large proportion of the world’s kiwifruit are grown. Some may even say that due to New Zealands high rainfall and fertile soils, it’s where the best kiwifruit in the world are grown… (And that’s not just me being bias!).

Most people are familiar with green kiwifruit, which is what we grew when I was little, but it’s the golden variety which my kids love the most. Golden kiwifruit were developed in NZ by crossing a female yellow kiwifruit plant from China with a male plant that produced large, succulent fruit. They’re much less acidic than traditional green kiwifruit, slightly sweeter and if you’re game (and can get your hands on organic ones), you can eat them skin and all as their skins are fuzz-free too. They also have the similar nutritional properties to the green ones, being high in vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants. Their natural sweetness works perfectly in this light, refreshing granita which I served atop glasses of vegan orange jelly made from local oranges. The little flecks of black look really nice in the granita and makes it instantly recognisable as kiwifruit, even though the yellow colour might throw off a few people!

This is the last of three posts I’ve worked on for Love Kiwis. You can read the others here, if you like:
– (Almost) Raw Kiwifruit + Ginger ‘Cheesecake’ {Gluten-free + vegan}
– Black bean tacos w/ kiwifruit salsa {gluten-free + vegan}

Orange jelly w/ golden kiwifruit granita
You will need approx. 4 large oranges to give you 500ml orange juice and I used 3 small golden kiwifruit for the granita (200g). You can find agar-agar powder at Asian grocers and health food stores. If you’re new to agar, it’s a vegan gelatine alternative made from seaweed. It needs to be boiled to activate its setting properties and can set at room temperature. It produces a firmer jelly than gelatine. If you can only get your hands on agar agar flakes, use 6 teaspoons flakes for every 1 tsp powder and make sure you cook it until it’s fully dissolved. Regular green kiwifruit could be used in place of golden, however I find it too acidic and mouth-burny/tingling myself when used in granita. I’ve opted to only slightly sweeten both the jelly and granita, but you could double the sugar in the jelly if you prefer things sweeter. Start this recipe the night before, or at least 4-6 hours before serving.
Serves 4


500ml (2 cups) freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons grated palm sugar or unrefined raw sugar
1 teaspoon agar agar powder
A small pinch fine sea salt

Golden kiwifruit granita
2 tablespoon grated palm sugar or unrefined raw sugar
60ml (1/4 cup) cold water
200g golden kiwifruit, peeled
1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice

Combine orange juice, grated palm sugar, agar agar powder and salt in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to the boil, stirring often to prevent the agar agar from settling to the bottom. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and set aside for a second while you grab 4 small glasses. Divide the orange juice evenly between the glasses (pour it into a jug if you find it easier to pour into glasses this way), and set aside on the bench until cold and set. Chill overnight in the fridge.

To make the granita, combine palm sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil for 10 seconds then remove from the heat and set aside until nearly cold. Place kiwifruit, cooled sugar syrup and lime juice in a food processor (not blender) and blend until relatively smooth, but with the little black seeds still intact. Transfer to a shallow freezer-proof dish and place in the freezer for 6 hours or overnight.

The following day, remove jellies and granita from the fridge. Using a fork, scrape the top of the granita mixture to form small ice crystals. Transfer to a container and freeze for a little while if it’s starting to melt too quickly while you continue scraping the rest.
Serve granita piled high on top of the orange jellies and eat immediately. 

Post sponsored by Love Kiwis. All views and opinions are my own, as always. It doesn’t take much for me to want to spread the word about one of New Zealands most cherished fruits!