How to Dehydrate Carambolas  Fig. 1  Averrhoa carambola (Star fruit, carambola). Fruit from Pali o Waipio at Hawea Pl Olinda, Maui, Hawai'i Fruit color can be orange, yellow, or almost white, it has five prominent ribs running the length of the fruit. When cut in cross sections, you get attractive star shaped pieces. For this reason, it is often called star fruit. The fruits vary widely in quality; some seedlings have very sour inferior fruit, while many named grafted varieties are sweet and delicious. 1  Fig. 2  Different stages of ripeness of the 'Kary' variety Choose ripe fruit. Make sure that the fruit you use is mature, firm, and ripe. Fruit that is damaged, unripe, or overripe will lack nutritional value, won't dry as well, and won't taste as good since the sugars aren't at their peak stage of development. Wash the fruit. Rinse the fruit under cool, running water, scrubbing it gently with your fingers to remove any visible dirt or debris. Pat the fruit dry with a clean paper towel when finished.
First, you cut both ends, remove the thin green ribbing and the seeds. (Optional as both are edible)  Fig. 5  Cut the fruit into into thin slices roughly ¼ inch.  Set the dehydrator to its "fruit" setting. If no such setting exists, set the temperature to 135 °F (57 °C).  Fig. 6  Spread the fruit over the dehydrator rack in a single layer. The exact amount of drying time will vary by fruit and thickness, but it will usually be ready after one or two days. Dry the fruit for 24 hours or more. Begin checking the fruit after the first 24 hours to prevent it from over-drying. Afterward, check on it every few hours.
When ready, the fruit should be shriveled and chewy. Squeeze it gently; it should be fairly rigid since the moisture has been drawn out of the squishy flesh. Most fruit will be pliable or leathery when done, meaning you can bend it and tear it, but it won’t be so dry that you can snap it. If you choose to leave the ribs on, they will add some crispness to the dried product. Note: I now use an Excalibur Dehydrator because the large square trays hold more fruit than round dehydrators with holes in the middle do. I also like that the trays slide in and out rather than stack, no need to restack them during the process to make sure they dehydrate uniformly.
Storing the Dried Fruits  Fig. 9  Store in an airtight container in a cool place. Stored in this manner, most dried fruits will last from 9 to 12 months. Packaged dried fruits should be consumed faster once opened, and may need to be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed bag, to prevent deterioration. This is especially so if the original dried fruits are still somewhat moist rather than completely dehydrated. Dried fruit can be stored in a cool room temperature environment in a dark place for several months in its original packaging, unopened. This presumes that the packaging is properly sealed; if not, you'll need to pop it into a resealable bag. Once opened, dried fruit will stay at its best if placed into a resealable bag and kept in a cool place. If you wish to keep the fruit moist, stick a piece of clean orange peel in with it. If the room temperature is hot, consider transferring the package to the refrigerator or a cellar environment. Whatever container you use, it must be airtight. Dried fruit can also be stored frozen for up to a year; it thaws quickly once removed from the freezer. Back to Carambola Page |
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| Bibliography 1 Joyner, Gene. "The Carambola." Tropical Fruit News, Rare Fruit Council International Miami RFCI, Vol. 29, May 1995, tropicalfruitnews.org. Accessed 21 Apr. 2017. Video v1 "Holiday Gift Idea! Dehydrated Carambolas (Star Fruit)." Truly Tropical, 1 Dec. 2017, (CC0), www.youtube.com/watch?v=btPj8kLIBCs. Accessed 28 Oct. 2021. Photographs Fig. 1 Starr, Forest and Kim. "Averrhoa carambola (Star fruit, carambola). Fruit from Pali o Waipio at Hawea Pl Olinda, Maui, Hawai'i." Flickr, 2012, (CC BY 2.0), flickr.com. Accessed 26 Apr.2017. Fig. 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Robitaille, Liette. "Carambola Series." 2004, www.growables.org. Published 27 Apr. 2017 LR. Last update 28 Oct. 2021. |
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