Attack of the Carambola

The star fruit or carambola is a tropical fruit that is presently taking over my small back yard. I have on several occasions hacked off limbs of this tree to avoid the quarterly onslaught of fruits that this plant propagates. I have a fear of fruit rats and for anyone not familiar with the Florida rodent they can be seen at dusk traveling on the electrical wires to chow down on whatever ripe fruit it can gain access too. Now with two cats that roam my modest grounds and almost three 250 lbs of dog (in my newfoundland and lab), usually the nocturnal animals skip our yard to opt for easier pickins but once this tree starts dumping I'm sure the smell is hard to resist. I've even seen squirrels run along the fence with a starfruit in its mouth. Anyhow the tree is prolific and the fruit is well an acquired flavor that I could give or take. It is great for garnish but I'm collecting this stuff by the laundry basket load and this tree is less then a foot in diameter. Maybe I should dehydrate the stuff or make preserves. I just need some ideas of how not to waste this fruit that begs a two dollar price tag at the local publix. Never tried a star fruit? Well I have been told it has a complicated flavor combination that includes plums, pineapples, and lemons.

So if anyone has any great starfruit recipes or ideas they would like to share I am all ears until then my juicer will be getting a workout.

Then I saw this ......................holy cow powerful neurotoxins should I be injecting it into my face like botox? kidding but maybe a little more research is in order. Kids put that fruit down.

IMPORTANT NOTE:Star fruit originated in Southeast Asia and is readily available in Taiwan. Star fruit causes several symptoms in patients with chronic renal failure or end-stage renal disease. The symptoms vary and include insomnia, intractable hiccups, agitation, muscle weakness, confusion, consciousness disturbances of various degrees, seizures, and cardiorespiratory arrest. The various star fruit subspecies contain different toxins, including a powerfulneurotoxin that is suspected to accumulate in blood, cross the blood-brain barrier in chronic renal failure patients, and eventually cause irreversible damage.Star fruit intoxication is a neglected but serious fruit intoxication frequently observed in patients with chronic renal failure. Because no effective treatment is currently available, patients— especially those who are newly diagnosed with chronic renal failure or end-stage renal disease—must be warned not to ingest star fruit, even in small amounts.