The carambola, sometimes known as the star fruit, is a kind of exotic fruit that is becoming more well-known in the United States. The form of a five-pointed star that is seen when the fruit is sliced along the center inspired the naming of this fruit. It has a skin that is waxy and ranges in color from golden yellow to green and has a complex taste profile that combines elements of plums, pineapples, and lemons.
This fruit is also known as bilimbi, belimbing, Chinese star fruit, five-angled fruit, and the star apple. It is believed to have originated in Sri Lanka and the Moluccas but has been farmed in Southeast Asia and Malaysia for several hundred years. Because star fruit thrives when it is allowed to mature in a warm climate, it is now found in abundance in south Florida and Hawaii. The ribs of sour kinds are often much closer together, whereas the ribs of sweet species are more likely to be thick and plump.
Carambola is low in sugar, salt, and acidity while being an excellent source of vitamin C and antioxidants. It is also a rich source of primary as well as secondary polyphenolic antioxidants, making it a very powerful antioxidant source. In addition to its antioxidant properties, A. carambola also has antibacterial properties. The antibacterial activity of the extracts was shown against E. coli, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus. In addition to being low in fat and naturally devoid of salt and cholesterol, star fruits are a wonderful resource for vitamin C.
Choose fruit that is solid, has a glossy skin, and is uniform in color. Star fruits may be let to mature at room temperature, and when they are ready to eat, the ribs will have edges that are tinged with a light brown color. Star fruits should not be purchased if their ribs are brown and shriveled. This delectable fruit may also be purchased in its dried form.
The websites www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov and www.wikipedia.org were used as sources.
Image created by Meneerke bloem and made available under the terms of version 1.2 of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Naranjita a La Hacienda
Ingredients:
• 1 ounce puerto rican light rum
• 2 -3 ounces ginger ale
• 1 ounce orange juice
• orange slice, to garnish
• 1 small star fruit, to garnish
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
Directions:
1. Combine rum, ginger ale, and orange juice and pour over ice in highball glass, and garnish with an orange slice and mini star fruits.
Frozen Flower Bowls With Fruits
Ingredients:
Flower bowl
water
fresh edible flower
Orange Dressing
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon orange zest
fruit salad, mixtures
Summer Favorite
watermelon balls or blueberries or blackberries or strawberries or cantaloupe balls or red grapes or mangoes, chunks or mint sprig
Autumn Favorite
pears or pomegranate seeds or green grapes or apples or toasted walnuts or thin iced rings red onion, dry crumbled
Tropical Favorite
bananas, slices or pineapple chunks or kiwi fruits or mangoes or star fruit or kumquats or flaked coconut or chopped macadamia nuts
Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 12 hrs
Directions:
1. To make the bowl:.
2. Clean out a place in your freezer (good luck!). Fill a bowl part way with water; drop in a cup or so of fresh flower blossoms, herbs, berries, or leaves. Put a smaller bowl in the big bowl and fill the little bowl with ice cubes to weigh it down. Cover the whole thing with a clean dish towel and use duck tape(to keep bowls in place as water expands). Freeze overnight. Twenty minutes before serving, remove from freezer, unwrap and allow to sit at room temperature. Separate bowls and fill with chilled fruit, drizzle Orange Dressing over all and toss gently. Set ice bowl in a shallow dish and serve. Enjoy!
Orange Dressing:
Combine dressing ingredients in a small saucepan; simmer; reduce to 1/2 cup. Remove from heat and chill.
Yield: about 1/2 cup.
Broiled Star Fruit in Ginger
Ingredients:
4 cups water
1 gingerroot, peeled and cut into slices
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
10 coriander seeds
1 tablespoon honey
2 star fruit, trimmed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 1 hr
Directions:
1. In saucepan, combine water, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and coriander.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add honey and stir until dissolved.
4. Strain liquid and allow to cool.
5. Slice the star fruit into 8 slices.
6. Place star fruit on a baking sheet and sprinkle the brown sugar over them.
7. Broil until the sugar bubbles and starts to brown.
8. Place stars into individual bowls, 4 each.
9. Ladle the gingered broth into each and serve.
Servings: 4
Star Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
2 medium star fruit (sliced )
2 medium oranges (peeled and sectioned )
2 medium tangerines (peeled and sectioned )
4 medium kiwi fruits (peeled and sliced )
2 cups strawberries (sliced )
2 (20 ounce) cans pineapple slices in juice
2 cups blueberries
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 medium bananas (optional and sliced)
Prep Time: 15 mins
Directions:
Save 5 slices of starfruit to put on each serving. combine all other ingredients. Chill at least 12 hours and stir just before serving. Top each serving with starfruit.
Servings: 10
❗️Check what Gardeners have purchased the most ❗️
