It's hard to serve starfruit without the fruit grabbing some attention.
Sliced into stars, this fruit can famously top salads, veggies and desserts.
It's also a fantastic addition to salsas and other side dishes - chopped! You hate to lose the "star" power, but save a slice to top the dish. It will grab the attention it desires.
High in water content, starfruit isn't typically found in baking recipes.
But as a substitute for pineapple slices in an upside down cake or grapefruit, simply broiled and sprinkled with cinnamon, it works and tastes great. When grillin' stovetop breakfasts or outdoor barbeques, add a slice of starfruit before pouring the batter in the skillet or just after flipping the burgers over the coals
Starfruit gets its name because of its star-shaped appearance when you cut it. Starfruit, or carambola, is a sweet and tangy fruit that varies in size from three to six inches in length. Its edible skin has a waxy sheen and turns from green to yellow during the maturation process. It's a good source of vitamins A and C. Starfruit are grown, packed and distributed from Brook Tropical's coastal farms in southwest Florida.
They're fun to eat. They're good for you, too! No need to share that with the kids.
Researchers think that telling a child that something is good for him or her, will make the food seem less satisfying to the child. Pointing out good taste or saying nothing at all lets the child eat and enjoy the act of eating. And few foods deliver an eating experience like starfruit.
Starfruit Tips
Starfruit turns from green to yellow as it ripens. Tart when slightly green, starfruit sweetens as it turns yellow.
Choose a firm, crisp fruit. Browning on the edges is ideal and is a sign of ripeness.
To ripen, store fruit at room temperature until most traces of green have disappeared and the ribs turn brown. Store in the refrigerator once ripe.
Eat starfruit like an apple. Or cut into star slices. Take a vegetable peeler and take off the brown ribs. And if you want, use the pointed end of the peeler to poke the seeds out of the slices.
Nutrition
Florida starfruit is a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C and copper. It's also low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Starfruit is also a good source of pantothenic acid and potassium.
Taste: Similar to that of a tart apple when green. It sweetens when the fruit becomes yellow.
Selection: Choose a firm, crisp fruit. Browning on the edges is a sign of ripeness.
Ripening: Store fruit at room temperature until most traces of green have disappeared and ribs turn brown.
Ethylene Production & Sensitivity: Low
Shelf Life: One week depending on temperature and humidity. Once ripe, it should be eaten within two to three days.
Brooks Tropicals Availability: July - April
Brooks Tropicals Origin: Florida