Introducing Starfuit and its many benefits

One of our favorite breakfast juices at Sueno del Mar is starfuit!  Here's some little known facts to introduce you to this delicious drink and help you prepare your own at home!

Carambola, also known as starfruit, is the fruit of Averrhoa carambola. The tree is cultivated throughout non-indigenous tropical areas, such as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the southern United States.
The fruit has distinctive ridges running down its sides (usually five, but can sometimes vary); in cross-section, it resembles a star, hence its name. The entire fruit is edible and is usually eaten out of hand. They may also be used in cooking, and can be made into relishes, preserves, and juice drinks.

The entire fruit is edible, including the slightly waxy skin. The flesh is crunchy, firm, and extremely juicy. It does not contain fibers and has a texture similar in consistency to that of grapes. Carambolas are best consumed shortly after they ripen, when they are yellow with a light shade of green or just after all traces of green have disappeared. They will also have brown ridges at the edges and feel firm. Fruits picked while still slightly green will turn yellow in storage at room temperature, but will not increase in sugar content. Overripe carambola will be yellow with brown spots and can become blander in taste and soggier in consistency.
Ripe sweet type carambolas are sweet without being overwhelming as they rarely have more than 4% sugar content. They have a tart, sour undertone, and an oxalic acid odor. The taste is difficult to compare, but it has been likened to a mix of apple, pear, and citrus family fruits. Unripe starfruits are firmer and sour, and taste like green apples.

Carambola is rich in antioxidants, potassium, and vitamin C; and low in sugar, sodium, and acid. It is also a potent source of both primary and secondary polyphenolic antioxidants.^[8] Averrhoa carambola has both antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Scavenging of nitric oxide (NO) by the fruit extract is dependent on concentration and stage of ripening. Extracts showed antimicrobial activity against E. coli, Klebsiella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carambola

How to make a perfect Starfruit juice::
Remove any green bits off the star fruit. Roughly chop. Add star fruit, lime juice and water into blender and liquidize. Add sugar if wanted and quickly blend again to mix. Some people prefer this strained. Chill.

Read more: <a href="http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/carambola-juice-54241?oc=linkback">http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/carambola-juice-54241?oc=linkback</a>

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