FoodFood InformationFruitTropical
The carambola is a strange-looking exotic fruit that resembles no other.
It is native to Malaysia and is grown in fair supply in Hawaii and on the
islands and lands that border the Caribbean Sea. In the continental United
States it is grown commercially on a very small scale in Florida and California.
America's production is limited not only because of lack of demand but because
the trees are extremely sensitive to cold weather. They are at peak of season
from September to January.
Carambolas are also known as Star Fruit because they resemble the five-pointed
starfish, and the most common of the twenty known varieties is called the
Golden Star. The edible skin appears to have a thick, waxy coating. Depending
on the variety and the ripeness of the fruit, the flesh is either pleasantly
tart or unpleasantly sour and has a few tiny seeds. As a rule, the deeper
the yellow coloring, the less tart the flavor. Carambolas are usually eaten
raw or used to flavor fruit punches and sometimes used to make jams and
jellies. Allow them to ripen if pale yellow and refrigerate when the color
turns golden yellow.
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