Star fruit is also known as carambola. The attractive fact about this fact is its five-pointed sides. And when you cut, it gives you the shape of a star. However, the taste of this star fruit is sour, but its skin has a waxy texture. Star fruit is edible and has a lot of demand in its season. But, what about the skin of this fruit. Ever you think that it is edible or not. Can you eat star fruit skin? If you are wondering about it, then navigate this article as I’m going to explain this.
Can You Eat Star Fruit Skin ?
Star fruit is native to America and was firstly introduced in the 1800s. However, star fruit has a sweet and sour or tangy taste with two different harvesting periods in a year. For example, you can harvest the star fruit in August as well as from December to February.
However, this fruit gained attention due to its five-pointed sides, which give the star shape to the slices of the fruit. And the name of this fruit belongs to its star shape.
Moreover, if you are a wonder that can you eat its skin, then a precise answer to this question is yes. Yes, you can eat the skin of star fruit.
As, its skin is not that hard to throw it away. But if you want to peel off its skin, you can as its pointed edges become much rough at its ends. However, peeling off the skin will become not be necessary if you cut it into slices.
Moreover, the skin of star fruit is thin with a waxy texture, and its color changes from green to yellow during its ripening period. However, the skin of the star fruit contains several nutrients like the skin of apple fruit.
That’s why there is no need to throw extra nutrients by peeling off its skin. But the one thing you can do is trim its edges as the skin of star fruit become a little rough at the ends of the edges.
However, star fruit is a sensitive fruit that’s why to keep turning it almost every 12 hours. Because a ripped star fruit can crush with its own weight if you keep it in one position for too long.
Can You Eat Fruit Seeds?
Star fruit is edible from all aspects so that you can eat its seeds also. However, if your star fruit is fully ripening, then the only thing you have to do is wash it and enjoy. As the entire fruit is edible along with its skin and seeds.
But if you want to remove the seeds or need them to grow your star fruit, you can remove its seeds. As there is no necessity that you have to eat them. Moreover, you can remove their seeds if you want to grow your own plant.
And for that, remove seeds from the fruit, dry them out, and then you can plant them two times a year. However, seeds of star fruit can lose their viability within a week during the summer season and two weeks for winters.
That’s why to harvest the seeds from the fruit when you have to plant them. Furthermore, you can plant a star fruit with the use of grafting and air layering as well.
Health Benefits of Star Fruit:
Like other fruits, star fruit is also a source of several essential nutrients. As, the start fruit is a decent source of vitamins C and B5, fiber, potassium, etc. And all these nutrients are beneficial for us in a number of ways.
Read also: How To Tell When Star Fruit Is Ripe ?
However, this fruit is avoidable for people who have kidney problems. As this fruit is considered toxic due to the excess amount of oxalate in it. That’s why people suggest that you not eat it if you have any kidney problems.
However, humans eating this fruit since centuries but not has any potential issues. But as we know, that excess of anything is fatal. That’s why don’t eat it in excess amount. At the same time, a proper amount of star fruit is healthy for us.
How Do You Eat Star Fruit?
Star fruit tastes like the taste of firm grapes with a mixture of both sweetness and tartness. And because of it you can use and eat star fruit in a number of ways. As you can eat it just after washing it even without cutting into slices.
And you can also use them with other dishes and drinks. As it helps to enhance the taste and garnishing of several dishes and drinks. So let’s discuss in detail that how many ways we can use and eat star fruit. Let’s start.
To Garnish:
You can use star fruit for garnish purposes in salad and drinks. And because of its shape, this fruit is preferable for garnish purposes. However, it is also used for cakes decorations as their star shape gives them a plus point for food decoration purposes.
Read also: Can You Eat the Leaves of Strawberries?
Chips:
Star fruit is quite sour, that’s why you can eat star fruit after making their chips. However, If you make their chips after covering them in any sweet syrup-like honey, it will give you a combination of sour and sweet taste.
In Smoothies:
Blending star fruit in smoothies will give you not only a good flavor but also extra nutrients. As, in smoothies, you can add any preferable ingredient and blend it.
And at the end, you just get the mixed taste of all these ingredients. However, smoothies are also a good source of getting a bunch of nutrients in a single glass.
How Do You Store Star Fruit?
As we know, star fruit is a sensitive fruit that can be crushed with its own weight if you keep it on a side for a long time. Similarly, star fruit stop ripening and start deteriorating once you cut it. That’s why storing the star fruit can be tricky and needs more care.
However, there are several ways to store star fruit, but the one and the simplest way is to keep it in the refrigerator. Because, after keeping in the refrigerator, you can use star fruit after three or four days easily.
Moreover, if you want to store it for an extended period, you can also do it by freezing it. However, to freeze the star-fruits, you have to cut the fruit into slices and place them on the parchment paper. Then freeze them for three hours continuously.
As we all know, the consistency and the taste of a fruit changes with the freezing process, and the same goes for star fruit.
Another method of storing star fruit is to dry them out. However, you can buy them from the markets, and you can also dry them out on your own. As it is a reasonably simple method to dry them out.
For that, you have to cut the fruit into pieces, soak them into lemon juice for about 10 minutes, spread on the oven tray evenly, and place them into the oven for thirty minutes. In this way, we can not only prepare a tasty snack, but also we can store them for weeks in a jar.
Is Star Fruit Safe to Eat?
However, star fruit is perfectly fine for people but might be problematic for people with kidney issues. But if you don’t have any kidney issues, then you can safely consume star fruit.
Final Thoughts:
Star fruit is edible and quite famous due to its five-pointed edges. Moreover, we also can eat its skin like several other fruits.
However, its skin is quite complex and gets rough at the ends of the edges. So if you want to peel off its skin, then you can.