Five Star fruit

[eve]

I had a real treat today, as a friend of mine brought a bagfull of 5-star fruits that had fallen from the overloaded tree in her garden. The fruit does have a 'proper' name, but because of its shape, that's what we call it here. And they were juicy and tasty. :D

[Mystic]

We just call them star fruit. The proper name is carambola. They are yummy - they remind me of a cross between an apple and citrus :p

[eve]

Thanks for that banana, I couldn't recall the name. On Saturday I'll be helping out that friend of mine at the animal refuge, and hopefully she'll bring some more carambola along! :D

[Kiva Dancer]

I've seen these in the stores but never knew what to do with them. Do you peel them? Are the seeds edible (I assume they're seeds in it)? How do I tell a good one from a gone-off one?

I know it's a lot of questions, but I really know absolutely nothing about them, except their proper name (thanks, banana :D ) and I need loads of help.

[Mystic]

You don't need to peel them. Most people put them in fruit salad. They slice them up and you get a pretty star shape.

[eve]

I like to just trim off the edges first, then cut off pieces and eat - lovely and juicy. They are nice and ripe when a pinky sort of colour. As banana says, no need to peel, and yes there are a few small, smooth stones to spit out! And if you cut cross-ways, then you get that five-pointed star.