Late Spring at the Orchard

Beehives in the orchard just before a storm

In the fruit stand now we have pink grapefruit, yellow grapefruit, Eureka lemons, Swiss chard, fresh herbs, hoshigaki, local free-range eggs and honey from bees at the orchard.  Hoshigaki can still be ordered by mail order. 

This month you can also buy grapefruit, lemons and hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) from us through the Sierra Foothills Producers Co-op.  Make your order online by 4:00 Friday, May 10th and pick it up the next week either at Otow orchard or one of the other pick up locations. This month the Producers Co-op has chicken, quail and duck eggs, organic greens, locally made cheese, honey, sauces, naturally raised meat and other items. 

In the orchard the persimmons and pomegranates are blooming.  Grass is turning brown from the lack of rain.  People have been thinning the Asian pear in an effort to help the trees produce fewer but bigger fruit.  The vegetable gardens are almost planted.  We've been trying to finish planting tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, summer squash and cucumbers now that the weather is warmer even at night. 

Citrus, Eggs and Greens

Chickens dust-bathing at the edge of my garden

Now is the season for eggs.  This is the time of the year that the chickens are laying the most prolifically. Even our older chickens have been laying an egg every few days.  It's also the end of citrus season and the beginning of herbs and greens.  Out in the gardens the Swiss chard and herbs are growing well in the late spring weather.

In the fruit stand we have grapefruit, lemons, Swiss chard, oregano, mint, hoshigaki, and fresh local free range eggs. You can also still order hoshigaki (Japanese hand dried persimmon) through mail order.

We have been busy in the orchard dealing with irrigation issues, mowing and thinning fruit from the trees. We've been getting the vegetable  gardens ready to plant by turning in compost and setting up watering. Some things like beans, garlic and zucchini are already planted.

New Spring Hoshigaki Mail Order Choices

Close up view of Hoshigaki Strips

We now have hoshigaki strips for sale through mail order.  Previously hoshigaki strips were only available for sale at our fruit stand.  Hoshigaki strips are cut from whole peeled persimmons dried in the traditional style by a native Japanese farmer in Newcastle, CA.  The strips are dusted with natural persimmon sugar. Any seeds have been removed. They're easy to share since they're already cut and are just right for a snack.  

We also have hoshigaki from the Nodahara family of Pleasant Hill Orchard in Newcastle, too.  These are whole hoshigaki (hand dried persimmons) with a soft texture and sweetness and natural fluffy sugar. 

The 2012 season hoshigaki from our orchard available now is not as soft and moist those offered earlier in the season.  We also have 2011 season Otow Orchard hoshigaki for sale through through mail order.  Both of these types of hoshigaki are at a discounted price.  Small amounts of non-premium Otow orchard hoshigaki are still for sale in the fruit stand. 

If you'd like to make an order please send it in as soon as possible.  We hope to finish mail orders in the Spring weeks before the weather gets too hot and the sugar risks melting. 

Blossoming Orchard and Producer's Co-op

Blood orange, Grapefruit, Navel Orange, and lemon on a plum tree.

If you come to the fruit stand, free to go out and take a walk in the orchard. It's very pretty right now with the plum, pluot and apricot trees covered in white fluffy blossoms.  The peaches are just starting to put out  pink flowers, too.  It looks like this year peaches and plums will be blossoming at the same time, so the orchard will soon be full of pink and white flowering trees. 

At the fruit stand we now have grapefruit, navel oranges, blood oranges, Eureka lemons, Asian pear, kiwi and hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon).  Hoshigaki can still be ordered through mail order, too. 

If you order from the Sierra Foothills Producers Co-op by 4:00 on Friday, March 8th, you can pick up your order the next Friday, March 15th at our orchard, or at one of the four other delivery spots.  This month there are new local items offered, such as vegetables and honey.  We're selling hoshigaki, blood oranges and Eureka lemons through the Producers Co-op.

Oranges on Sale

We have juicy and sweet oranges on sale at the fruit stand for $8.00 for a 6 pound bag, or two bags for $12.  Right now we at the fruit stand we also have lots of blood oranges, eureka lemons, yellow grapefruit, kiwi and Asian pear at the fruit stand, along with the very last satsuma mandarins. Blemished fruit for juicing is available, too.

Orchard News & Fruit Stand

Blossoming ume tree in front of the lemon and orange trees

Some of the first trees started blooming in the orchard.  First to bloom are the ume ("oo-meh") trees.  Ume is a small sour Japanese plum that's usually preserved.  The blossoms have a banana-like scent that hangs in the air.  Pluots and early plums have started budding but haven't blossomed yet.  We are finishing pruning persimmon trees and soon will start planting some of the new bare root trees from that we ordered this year.

We've been starting tomatoes and other vegetables by seed in the hot house.  These will be planted out in the gardens in early April.    

At the fruit stand we have mandarins,  navel oranges,  blood oranges, Eureka lemons, Asian pear,  kiwi, butternut squash and hoshigaki. We also have eggs, 100 percent beeswax candles,  and Joanne Neft and Laura Kenny's The Art of Real Food Cookbook .

We're still taking mail orders for hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmons).  You can get to the order form here on our website.

Hoshigaki Still Available

The rooster by a grapefruit tree

We still have hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) available from our orchard and also from Pleasant Hill Orchard in Newcastle.  Pleasant Hill orchard is a small orchard owned by the Nodahara family.  Pleasant Hill's hoshigaki is very sweet with fluffy sugar formed on the outside. Right now, there are three ways you can get hoshigaki from us.  

The best way to get hoshigaki is to just stop by the fruit stand, if you're able to. At the fruit stand we have Premium and grade A hoshigaki in various sized packages, as well as hoshigaki strips.  Another way is to order hoshigaki through mail order.  You can print out the order form, fill it out and mail it to us with a check.  We have both Otow Orchard hoshigaki and Pleasant Hill hoshigaki for a few dollars less per pound available through mail order.

A third way to get hoshigaki is to make an order through the Sierra Foothills Producer's Cooperative.  The Producers Co-op delivers once a month to five different sites around our area, including at our fruit stand.  Through the Producers Co-op you can also order locally produced meat, cheese, jams, sauces, and honey.  For February delivery, you must make your order online by 4:00 PM Feb. 8th.  Delivery at our orchard is Feb. 15th from 4:00-4:30. 
The other

Ice

In this photo, Viviano is looking at the ice formations made from the sprinklers one morning this past weekend. We had to turn on some of the sprinklers for a few nights to create a layer of ice on the citrus trees.  The coating of ice is supposed to protect the trees themselves from freezing. The branches are insulated by the ice and the temperature is kept a few degrees higher than the surrounding air.

New Fruits and Producers Co-op

We have three new fruits at the fruit stand--kiwi, naval oranges and blood oranges.  The kiwis are flavorful and the navels are sweet and juicy.  Blood oranges are less acidic and red inside with a red blush on the peel. We also have many mandarins at the fruit stand, as well as Asian pear and winter squash. All types of softening persimmons are available. We still have a good supply of hoshigaki for sale at the fruit stand and through mail order.

The January delivery to our orchard for the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative will be Friday, Jan. 18th, from 4-5 PM.  Orders need to be received by Friday, Jan. 11th at 4:00 PM.  Through the Producers Co-op you can order locally and naturally raised beef, chicken, lamb, pork and eggs; seasonal produce such as Meyer lemons and mandarins; and other locally made products like dressings, jams, sauces and cheese.  We are selling our hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) through the Producers Co-op this month.  Other delivery locations are in Auburn, Kings Beach, Truckee and Penryn. 

Hoshigaki & Fruit Stand Update

Sunset at the orchard

Hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) is still available for sale at the fruit stand and through mail order.  At the fruit stand we have various grades of hoshigaki for sale, and also hoshigaki from another producer, Pleasant Hill Orchard.  Pleasant Hill Orchard is a small orchard in Newcastle, CA owned by the Nodahara family.  Thier hoshigaki is very soft and flavorful this year with nice fluffy sugar on the outside. We now also have Pleasant Hill's Hoshigaki for sale through mail order at a little less per pound than ours.  Mandarins are also for sale through mail order.

The fruit stand is full of mandarins and soft persimmons.  Soft hachiya are for sale, individually and in trays.  We still have maru (chocolate) persimmons, vodka-treated hyakume, and fuyu persimmons although they're not as firm as earlier in the season. Other items in the fruit stand are large okusankichi Asian pears, white pomegranate, butternut and Black Futsu winter squash, pie pumpkins and raw honey from bees at our orchard.

It's been cold in the past few weeks with some nights of freezing temperatures and many days of rain.  We have been busy catching up with all of the various tasks involved in drying hoshigaki, such as massaging drying persimmons, taking down dry hoshigaki, trimming the tops and sorting them into grades according to softness. Only about one rack of sticks of hoshigaki remains drying in the last drying room. Out in the orchard we have been pruning trees and dropping compost between the rows to help fertilize the soil. 

Happy New Year!

The fruit stand will be closed Mon., Dec. 31st and Tues., Jan. 1st for New Year's Day.  We'll open again on Wed., Jan. 2nd , with regular hours.  We remain open through out the winter and spring, from 9-6 Tuesday through Saturday, and 10-5 on Sunday.  Mondays we are closed.

In the photo are some of the last gymbo persimmons ripening on a tree.  In the background is a blossoming loquat tree, which will bear some of the orchard's first fruit next year in the late Spring.  

Hoshigaki, Fruit Stand & Gifts

Hachiya persimmon in the orchard

Hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) is still available through mail order and at our fruit stand.  If you'd like to pick up more than a pound of hoshigaki at the fruit stand, it's a good idea to call ahead and let us know.

Although the recently wet weather has ended the peeling of new persimmons, we're still busy taking care of the many sticks of drying persimmons that are in the process of becoming hoshigaki.  We have drying rooms full of persimmons in varying stages of drying that need to be periodically massaged and checked on. We've also been packing finished hoshigaki into bags and gift boxes to send out through mail order and for sale at the fruit stand. 

At our fruit stand we still have many varieties of fresh persimmons, including firm fuyu and soft hachiya that many people use for baking.  We're selling firm fuyu by the pound or in 15-pound bags.  Other persimmon varieties are maru (chocolate), nagamaru, and vodka-treated hyakume.  Mandarins are now in season and available at the fruit stand, too.  Granny Smith apples, white pomegranate, Asian pear, green tomatoes and winter squash are also at the fruit stand.  For winter squash we have lots of butternut squash, a few different varieties of kabocha and pie pumpkins.

Hoshigaki is often given as a gift for Christmas or New Year's.  We have other items that can be used as gifts as well.  We have two persimmon cookbooks, Perfectly Persimmon by Jeanne Brine, and a persimmon cook book put out by the UC Davis Extension service.  We also have Joanne Neft's and Laura Kenny's The Art of Real Food cookbook.  At the fruit stand you can also buy the 2013 Master Gardener's calendar, handmade 100% beeswax candles made with beeswax from our orchard, and locally made jam from Orchard Delights.