Slice and Eat a Star Fruit

CHOOSING THE RIGHT STARFRUIT

Seeing a star fruit (or starfruit) in the grocery store can be a little intimidating or seem ‘too exotic’ if you’ve never sliced and eaten one your self, but don’t be scared, it’s delicious and easy. The best looking star fruit may not be the most ripe and delicious, so choosing the right one is important. Your best bet is to find the fruit with the least amount of green on the edges and the richest orange color. This could mean there are some brown edges, but if they are small, that indicates it’s at its optimum ripeness.

I have tried buying green star fruit and letting them ripen to a bright orange color, but they are always much more bitter than finding the fruit at the stand that has spent more time ripening on the tree. It really is hit or miss, so if you find a good source for them, stick with it. In Costa Rica there is a farmers market in the Pavas area of San José that has a lot of stands with star fruit, which they call carambola, but we have our favorite of course. You can find the market extending down about 500 meters along the street running beside the Palí in Pavas every Saturday morning.

Using Star Fruit in Savory Recipes

Star Fruit is a fruit with five points, also known as carambola. This result differs somewhat "sweet and sour and bitter. The yellow star as a fruit, the sweeter the flavor will be. The fruit is delicate and bruises to be careful with them.

You can use it in recipes for soups, salads and recipes for cakes or to make curry. Because of its attractive star shape when cut in half carambola often used as a garnish. You can cut and bake as a side dish or a simple carom for a few slices of meat or fish and stir fry vegetables to add flavor and color.

The result is a very sweet fruit, which means it is ideal for use in savory dishes, if you want a semi-sweet flavor. You can of course strawberries, apples and other fruits in savory and sweet recipes taste, slightly sour fruit stars and acid used, is ideal for use in recipes where a touch of sweetness and fruit.

This fruit has been cultivated for centuries in Southeast Asia, but is a relatively recent addition to Western cuisine. When shopping for star fruit, it must be one that is bright yellow, fragrant and firm.

Star Fruit Salad Recipe

"My husband and I are both trying to lose weight. We've found that this delicious combination makes a nutritious snack," says Kristin McPherson of Moultrie, Georgia.

Ingredients
    * 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
    * 1-1/2 teaspoons honey
    * 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
    * 1 snack-size carton (4 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
    * 1/2 small apple, chopped
    * 4 small strawberries, sliced
    * 1 small star fruit, sliced
    * 1 small plum, sliced
    * 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted, optional

Directions
* In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, honey and lemon juice. Add fruit; toss gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle with pecans if desired. Yield: 2 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1 cup equals 172 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 3 mg cholesterol, 41 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 fruit, 1 fat, 1/2 reduced-fat milk.

Star fruit Upside Down Cake

When you’re new to being gluten-free (or new to cooking, for that matter), pre-packaged mixes are a godsend. Bob’s Red Mill, Pamela’s, and now more mainstream folks like Betty Crocker (I used Betty’s gluten-free yellow cake here) make brownie, bread, and pancake mixes that are darn good versions of their gluten-y counterparts. They’re a great starting point for newbies and good if you’re in a pinch, but in my humble opinion, if you’re a gluten-free baker worth your salt you’ll have at least 5 types of flours in your cupboards at all times.

I’m often gifted box mixes (in lieu of gluten-y baked treats) by folks in my life, a gesture I really appreciate. It makes a lot of sense to give a gluten-free person the gift of something good that they can feel good eating, but I have to admit that the overachieving baker in me has a hard time not wanting to “do better” than a box mix.

Star Fruit Salad

Do not peel the glossy, golden-yellow star fruit--simply rinse it thoroughly. When ripe, this showy warm-climate fruit is exceedingly juicy and fragrant. Choose smaller fruit for this salad.

Total Time: 15 mins
Servings: 8 (1 1/4 cup salad and 1 tablespoon dressing) servings

Ingredients
    * 1/4 cup  raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegarOn Sale
    * 3 tablespoons  salad oilOn Sale
    * 1 tablespoon  honeyOn Sale
    * 1 10-ounce package  torn mixed Italian blend salad greensOn Sale
    * 1 small  star fruit (carambola), thinly slicedOn Sale
    * 1/2   small red onion, thinly sliced (1/3 cup)On Sale
    * Fresh raspberries (optional)

Sake and Starfruit "Caipirinha"

This is one of the most popular cocktail choices on Souza's Caipirinha menu at Bar Veloso in São Paulo, Brazil. While Souza normally makes it with sake, he sometimes uses the more traditional cachaça upon request.

1 3/4 oz. sake
1 starfruit, cut into cubes except for one star-shaped “round” reserved for garnish
1 tsp. sugar
5 fresh basil leaves
Cracked or cubed ice
Tools: muddler, barspoon
Glass: Old Fashioned
Garnish: remaining “round” of starfruit

Muddle starfruit and sugar in glass. Add ice, sake and basil. Stir well and garnish.

Star Fruit Recipes Part 4

Star Fruit Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup raspberry vinegar
• 1/4 cup salad oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 10 ounce packages torn mixed salad greens; Italian blend
• 2 medium star fruit, thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Combine vinegar, oil and honey in a screw top jar. Cover and shake well. Toss salad greens with star fruit and onion in a large bowl. Shake dressing well and pour over salad mixture. Toss lightly to coat well. Makes 12 servings.

Star Fruit Recipes Part 3

Marinated Sour Shrimp

• 2 pounds large shrimp with shell
• 6 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 red chilies
• 4 sour star fruit, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Put shrimp in a pan with 8 cups water and bring to boil. Simmer for 4 minutes, drain and plunge shrimp in iced water for 30 seconds. Drain, then peel shrimp. Grind or blend shallots, chilies and star fruit. Add salt to taste and a little lime or lemon juice if not sour enough. Combine with shrimp and serve.

Star Fruit Steak

Ingredients
    * 1 1/4 pounds beef sirloin steak
    * 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
    * 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
    * 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
    * 1 carambola (star fruit), cut into 1/3 inch slices

Directions
   1. Place the beef sirloin steak in a medium dish and cover with Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle with ground black pepper and seasoning salt, adjusting the amounts to taste. Place star fruit slices around the steak. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator approximately 4 hours, turning steak once.
   2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate.
   3. Cook steak 3 to 5 minutes per side on the prepared grill, or to desired doneness.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving  Calories: 336 | Total Fat: 21.5g | Cholesterol: 95mg

STAR FRUIT - Carambola

The star fruit or carambola (Averrhoa carambola*) is a unique tropical fruit that is gaining popularity in the United States. This fruit acquired its name from the five pointed star shape** when cut across the middle of the fruit (occasionally 4 or 6 ribbed fruit may occur).  The 3 to 5 inch long fruit has a paper-thin thin, translucent, waxy, yellow-orange to green skin with tart crisp flesh.  They range in taste from pleasantly tart and sour to slightly sweet with a complicated flavor combination that includes plums, pineapples, and lemons. The star fruit is juicy and crunchy, and may be eaten skin, seeds and all or used as a garnish, in salads and in relishes and preserves. When used in cooking, green fruit are frequently used for their sourness. The juicy flesh is mostly water and does not hold up well when heated.

Although it is not now found in the wild, the star fruit is originally native to Sri Lanka and the Moluccas, and has been cultivated in Southeast Asia and Malaysia for almost 1,000 years. The fruit also goes by many other names including: belimbing or belimbing manis (Indonesia), mafueng (Thailand), kamrakh (Indian) Chinese star fruit, star apple and Five angled fruit.  Today they are also grown throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America, Florida and Hawaii because the fruit thrives on growing in a warm environment.

Star Fruit Recipes Part 2

Tropical Fruit Salad

• 2 cups seedless red grapes
• 1 cup cubed, peeled papaya
• 1 cup sliced star fruit
• 3 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup sliced banana

Combine grapes, papaya, star fruit and kiwi in a bowl; toss gently. Combine lime juice and honey in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Pour over fruit; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill. Just before serving, add banana; toss gently. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Star Fruit Recipes Part 1

Star Fruit Chicken Rice

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 2 teaspoons mashed garlic
• 6 medium star fruit
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt, black pepper and paprika to taste
• minced cilantro leaves for garnish
• 4 cups cooked rice
• 4 pounds cooked chicken breast, deboned, cut into bite size pieces

In a medium pan, heat olive oil. Saute red bell pepper, scallions, garlic and star fruit over medium low heat until tender about 8 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Cook over medium low heat for 8 minutes. In a large cooking pot, combine this mixture with the rice and chicken and heat until serving temperature about 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander.