Lucky you!
This site sez fruit will ripen slowly if picked greenâ¦.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fruit Facts

echobelly, At least one known variety must ripen on the tree. Your best bet is to plant a good variety to eventually replace your existing tree. It doesn't take long. Our Kary is only three or four years old and is huge - double from last year in spite of pruning. We had two big crops last year and this year's first flush is just getting ripe. The fruit from our tree all taste pretty much the same, semi-sweet and refreshing. Look at the link. Most varieties are tart and/or not very good. And to quote: "Carambola fruit do not increase in sugar content after picking and so for optimum sweetness and flavor should be picked when fruit turn from green to a yellow color in the furrow between the ribs while the tips of the ribs (fins) remain green."

Here is a link that might be useful: Carambola for Florida

Echobelly, you got some good advice already, here is my experience. I have the variety Sri Kenambagan, before I had the Bell which was my favorite. I always eat them fully ripe even with the sides brown, lol, because it has some oxalic content when green. I keep my tree no more than 4 or 5 feet tall, believe me is plenty of fruit for us.

In my area are just getting to a good size.

Silvia

I grow Fwang Tung and get nice large fruit. I find that if the fruit is a little tart I cut the ribs off and that helps...at least I think it does :-)

I have a kari in a huge pot. It is probably about 9 feet tall now. I may have to trim it to get it into the greenhouse by the time it freezes come Dec or so this year. It has very sweet fruit. We have to pick the higher fruits because our 2 free ranging turkey hens get all the fruit on the lower branches as soon as they see it. It is their favorite!!
~SJN

I've been thinking of getting a star-fruit and would love to know where you-all get the sweet ones, please tell me which are the sweetest and where they came from...thanks, lol,..sally