There is a starfruit tree at the front edge of our yard. We’ve noticed Fijians stop and pick fruit from the tree from time to time, but we’ve never paid much attention to the tree before because it doesn’t seem to produce significant yield. But over the weekend, we saw a bunch of ripe fruit hanging from the branches, so we took the ladder out and picked them.
Well, we didn’t actually pick the fruit. It was more like shaking the branches with a broom stick to make the fruit fall. Crude method, but it works.
We got a good haul and added to it by shaking ripe paw paws (the local term) from our papaya trees. All the fruit was enough to fill a large bowl. It will last us for well over a week.
I made a fruit shake with three starfruits, one paw paw and soy milk after the harvest. It was a mildly sweet treat.
For those unfamiliar with starfruit, it’s yellow when ripe, and when you slice it, the slices are shaped like stars (hence, the name). The skin is thin and waxy, and the fruit has a slightly crunchy texture; kind of like biting into an apple or pear, but starfruit is less dense. It’s a crisp, refreshing and healthy snack.
ATB 