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Star fruits taste best when consumed ripe. Unripe star fruits may taste excessively sour and at times bitter. Once ripe, these fruits turn completely yellow with a hint of green at the edges; this is the best time to consume star fruit. You can enjoy having a star fruit by:
- Cleaning it with water
- Cutting off the edges
- Not peeling the skin because it is edible
- Slicing it horizontally
- Removing the seeds
You can use star fruits for the following preparation:
- Pickles
- Jams
- Salads
- Juice
- Jelly
- Dips
- Pies
- Puddings
- Seafood or shellfish dishes
- Asian- or Indian-style curries or stews
- As a garnishing ingredient
We can also consume raw star fruits. Apart from eating, raw star fruits are also useful in cleaning rusted utensils.
What are the health benefits of star fruit?
Researchers have claimed certain health benefits of star fruit, which include:
- Reducing skin inflammatory condition
- Relieving stomach discomfort and ulcer-like conditions
- Reducing cholesterol level
- Removing toxins from the body
- Boosts immune system
- Lowering the risk of heart diseases
- Reducing the risk of brain tumor
- Relieving constipation with the help of fibers
- Lowering blood sugar level
What are the harmful effects of having star fruit?
As star fruits have high contents of certain substances, such as oxalic acid and caramboxin (CBX), it can prove to be dangerous in patients with kidney diseases. As patients with kidney disease are unable to effectively excrete toxic substances, they are adversely affected by oxalates. Accumulation of oxalates and caramboxin can cause serious illness in patients. Star fruit poisoning can lead to:
The death rate was high in chronic kidney disease patients who consumed star fruit. Hence, star fruit should be avoided in patients with chronic renal disease.