base form first and are therefore the oldest and sweetest, and the acidity of the flesh doubles from the core to the surface Thanks to their assertive flavor and firm, somewhat fibrous flesh, pineapples can be cut into chunks and baked, grilled, or fried They have an affinity for the flavors of butter and caramel and work well in baked goods, as well as various raw preparations (salsas, drinks, sorbets) Pineapple Enzymes Pineapples contain several active protein-digesting enzymes that are used in meat tenderizers, but can cause problems in other prepared dishes (In medicine they have been exploited as a means of cleaning burns and other wounds, and they help control inflammatory diseases in animals.) Bromelain, the major enzyme, will break down gelatin, so pineapple for gelatinbased desserts must be cooked first, to inactivate the enzyme And if incorporated into a mixture containing milk or cream, bromelain will break down the casein proteins and produce bitter-tasting protein fragments Again, precooking the pineapple will prevent this Star Fruit Star fruit or carambola come from the small Southeast Asian tree Aver-rhoa carambola, a member of the wood sorrel (Oxalis) family These medium-sized, yellowish fruits are notable for their starlike cross section, a decorative touch in salads and garnishes, for an aroma with notes of Concord grapes and quince, and for the presence of oxalic acid, mainly in the five ridges When unripe and especially rich in oxalic acid, star fruit are sourly reminiscent of similarly endowed sorrel (p 411) and are used to clean and polish metal! Star fruit are colored by carotenoid pigments, including beta-carotene A relative, the bilimbi, is too tart to eat fresh and in the tropics is made into preserves and ... cross section, a decorative touch in salads and garnishes, for an aroma with notes of Concord grapes and quince, and for the presence of oxalic acid, mainly in the five ridges When unripe and especially rich in oxalic... Star Fruit Star fruit or carambola come from the small Southeast Asian tree Aver-rhoa carambola, a member of the wood sorrel (Oxalis) family These medium-sized, yellowish fruits are notable for their starlike cross section, a decorative touch in salads and. .. sourly reminiscent of similarly endowed sorrel (p 411) and are used to clean and polish metal! Star fruit are colored by carotenoid pigments, including beta-carotene A relative, the bilimbi, is too tart to eat fresh