Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Tropical Fruit Tip

Have you tried the Star Fruit? In the Tropical Islands is is also known as five fingers. Cut the fruit sideways and you will find out why. There are five points like a star or a hand spread out wide. This fruit is packed with antioxidants and has loads of vitamin c, the same as an orange. Native the China, the scientific name is Carambola. This tropical fruit tree grows anywhere there is no chance of a freeze. Carambola tastes somewhat like a cross between a pineapple and an apple: its a bit mild and tart. It has loads of fiber. Chop it up and add to salads. It blends nicely with a fruit salad, a lettuce salad, even tuna or chicken salad. The sliced fruit floats, add these stars to your punch bowl for a festive occasion!

7 comments:

  1. I like the thought of a pitcher of Sangria with carambolas floating atop. YUM

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  2. Robert has such a wealth of informative amd interesting topics. Thanks for sharing.
    Rich

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  3. Those look like they throw pretty nice.

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  4. HI Robert,
    I've never tasted star fruit...not to mention, never planted it. How tall does it get? Is it okay in containers and what are the ideal climate conditions?
    Shirley Bovshow "EdenMaker"

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  5. Got any good ideas for a carambola lesson with kids? I intend to do one next week. Stars and tasting...maybe making them float.

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  6. Kids will love the star fruit. Try to get the sweet juicy varieites. Depending how old they are you can have them sing, "star light, star bright, wish upon a star tonight." You can play the song "Wishing on a star." They can plant the seeds also. THe history of the fruit is intersting as well. Its always fun to start a dicussion and find out who has a tree or who has tasted them before. Have fun!

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  7. The Star Fruit need to be planted in a climate that does not freeze. They are native to China. They are a medium size tree. They can be grown in pots for a while, like all fruit trees, they fruit more as they get larger and are planted in the ground.

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