Star fruit

[jsolomon]

So, life has taken me to a Caribbean island--lush with many things that are very different than the fruits of Nebraska I grew up with.

One of the things that is prevalent is star fruit, the carambola. When I tried it, I was reminded of a mix between rhubarb and smarties. The ones we got were very sour, but pleasant. It got me thinking of a kind of star fruit pie.

So, I'm soliciting for rhubarb pie recipes, and star fruit recipes. I'm just looking to get along for the next 18 months here... It could get long. But, I'd prefer to make the best of it.

[Abra]

No specific recipes, but I think star fruit has an affinity for caramel sauce, just to give you some ideas. As in vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, star fruit, and some toasted nuts. Or along the pie theme, maybe the filling for pecan pie would work with star fruit.

[alanamoana]

that's a picture of the fruit from my parents' yard in hawaii. we eat starfruit all the time...never thought about it being in a pie.

i probably wouldn't cook it though. it is very watery (mostly water) and i don't know how the texture would translate. i think it would be tasty on a custard base of some sort...

blind bake a pie crust (or use a crumb/nut crust), fill with pastry cream/pastry cream lightened with whipped cream or whatever and then top with tons of starfruit.

if you eat a lot of them, you'll notice the furry teeth thing that happens with spinach. i think they have a lot of iron in them.

[Abra]

Oxalic acid is what does the furry teeth thing with leafy greens. I guess I never ate enough star fruit to get that effect. I like your idea of a custard base. A coconut milk custard might be especially nice.

[gfron1]

So spinning off of alanamoana's idea, what about a passion fruit curd - and just run with it like a key lime pie.

[jsolomon]

I love all of your ideas, but every single one of my cookbooks is packed away So, in order to do any of these, I need some basic ingredients and ratios.

I just browsed through the rG, and found a likely rhubarb recipe from pounce

Pounces Rhubarb Custard Pie

And also an interesting muskmelon pie from browniebaker that I'm certain would work for either the passionfruit or starfruit if I could get some guidance on sugar content.

Browniebaker's Muskmelon Pie

edit for typoes.

Edited June 11, 2007 by jsolomon (log)

[miladyinsanity]

I wonder if you can make a curd with starfruit. Then you could just pour into a baked pie crust and chill before slicing.

[Lindacakes]

I only had one good star fruit in my life, and it was picked fresh from the tree in an experimental fruit farm in Costa Rica and sliced on the spot. I dream about that star fruit.

I think the taste is quite delicate, but I'd try this, since you have a lot: stew some fruit, reduce it, make a sort of fruit jam out of it.

Blind bake a pie crust, line it with the fruit jam, add a custard that has also been flavored with the fruit jam. When this is done, just as it comes out of the oven so the top is soft enough to gently embrace it, line the top with the cut star slices so that they touch edges and form a pattern.

In my head this is quite stunning . . .

I might be inclined to cheat a litte and pep it up with some food coloring if it doesn't have much of it's own.

[nduran]

Like persimmons, the taste of fresh starfruit just doesn't hold up through cooking in my opinion. Maybe add some kind of gum to a sweetened puree or something.

[LittleIsland]

Texture-wise, it brings to mind watermelon. So maybe a sorbet?

[nduran]

Texture-wise, it brings to mind watermelon.  So maybe a sorbet?

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Or a granita.

[Domestic Goddess]

Starfruit is always eaten with rock salt in my province. They're usually picked fresh from the tree, I prefer the slightly greenish yellow ones - a cross between ripe and unripe. My mouth is watering at the thought of biting into the warm, slightly tart fruit with salt. Yum!

[jsolomon]

Starfruit is always eaten with rock salt in my province. They're usually picked fresh from the tree, I prefer the slightly greenish yellow ones - a cross between ripe and unripe. My mouth is watering at the thought of biting into the warm, slightly tart fruit with salt. Yum!

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Are yours the sweet kind when they're fully ripe? The ones here are puckeringly tart.

[Domestic Goddess]

Yes, ours are the sweet kind when they're ripe, JSolomon. But then again, these are fruit left to ripen on the tree so that may count for the sweetness.

[jumanggy]

Starfruit is always eaten with rock salt in my province. They're usually picked fresh from the tree, I prefer the slightly greenish yellow ones - a cross between ripe and unripe. My mouth is watering at the thought of biting into the warm, slightly tart fruit with salt. Yum!

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Are yours the sweet kind when they're fully ripe? The ones here are puckeringly tart.

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Oh, you mean mouth-puckeringly tart? Hee hee. I'm 12.

I thought it might have been used as a base for hot and sour soup when picked unripe, but my dad has no idea what I'm talking about, so I guess I'm imagining things. In fact, he has no idea what they could be used for, except eating raw. He says that they are indeed sweet when ripe here.

[jsolomon]

These here are quite tart. My understanding is that there are tart varieties, and there are sweet ones. The ones I have encountered here are only tart. I may ask around for the sweet ones.

[Paradasia]

I am a producer and exporter of Starfruit from Malaysia.

I always though that the real wonder of this fruit is the unique shape, so It seems to me that any dish that uses this fruit it should preserve the appearance.

I’ve seen sliced starfruit baked into cakes. By placing them in the bottom and sides of the pan they turn out nicely on the cake surface after baking. They work well in gelatin deserts; but tend to float so it needs some planning to keep them in the correct place.

Starfruit with caramel does sound interesting, but for me the taste of starfruit is complemented with something slightly acidic. The best preparations I have tasted are drinks where starfruit is added to citrus juice (orange and/or lemon), wedding punch, or even better with champagne, sugar and strawberries. I rather like the Brazillian drink where they blend starfuit into a juice and mix with "pinga".

I am sure rhubarb and starfruit would work well. Maybe a key-lime pie with starfruit embedded in the crust might be interesting to try.

In western countries most starfruit is used mily as a garnish, typically in salads, on the sides of cocktails, or on top of deserts.

[GlorifiedRice]

Oxalic acid is what does the furry teeth thing with leafy greens.  I guess I never ate enough star fruit to get that effect.  I like your idea of a custard base.  A coconut milk custard might be especially nice.

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Spinach, Collards, Starfruit, Rhubarb and Corn...High in Oxalic Acid.

Dont eat it every day. It doesnt allow calcium absorbtion

[GlorifiedRice]

How about dehydrating Starfruit and then making a kind of Dried Schnitz Pie?

[miladyinsanity]

Candy it? Then chop it up and add to sorbet.

Paradasia's right, btw. I didn't think about it, but starfruit-pineapple juice is really yummy, so something along that lines?

[dystopiandreamgirl]

I'm not crazy about the taste of starfruit but did enjoy it in a pavlova:

[emilyr]

I've only had starfruit once, but didn't it have a texture somewhere between a plum and a grape? If so, couldn't it be made into a pie a lot like a stone fruit. I made a stone fruit and strawberry pie last night, and I don't think much of a recipe is needed. I tossed the fruit with some brown sugar (Maybe 1/2-2/3 C.?), a little lime juice (1 T.?) and nutmeg (1/4-1/2 t.?), and cornstarch. Thrown into a pie crust with lattice and sugar on top, and bake at 350 for about 30 min. I just eyeball measurements, but it makes a nice sauce without being too juicy or overwhelming the fruit with sugar.

[Fabulous Foodie]

I've only had starfruit once, but didn't it have a texture somewhere between a plum and a grape? If so, couldn't it be made into a pie a lot like a stone fruit. I made a stone fruit and strawberry pie last night, and I don't think much of a recipe is needed. I tossed the fruit with some brown sugar (Maybe 1/2-2/3 C.?), a little lime juice (1 T.?) and nutmeg (1/4-1/2 t.?), and cornstarch. Thrown into a pie crust with lattice and sugar on top, and bake at 350 for about 30 min. I just eyeball measurements, but it makes a nice sauce without being too juicy or overwhelming the fruit with sugar.

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I wouldn't say it's like a stone fruit. It doesn't have the fibre that say a peach or plum has and would thus turn to mush. I think the best idea so far has been the sorbet or granita. I just don't think any sort of baked pie will work out due to the high water content of the fruit.