Sunday, December 30, 2012

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.  

Monday, December 3, 2012

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 hyakumeMandarins 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

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Mandarins & Producers Co-op

Chickens near a fuyu tree at sunset
We now have satsuma mandarins for sale at the fruit stand. These are sweet, easy to peel,  usually seedless mandarins. 

December orders for the Sierra Foothill Producers Co-op should be in by Friday, Dec. 14th at 4:00.  Through the Producers Co-op you can order local meat, cheese, eggs, produce and other products such as jams and sauces and then pick up the items at one of the designated delivery spots. The order form is online here.  Delivery will be made to our orchard on Fri., Dec. 21st from 4:00-5:00.  During the same week, there are deliveries in Auburn, Kings Beach and Truckee.  Karin Sinclair, who coordinates the co-op, also makes arrangements for pick-ups at her farm in Penryn.

This month we are selling hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmons), fuyu, hachiya and maru persimmons, white pomegranate, and Asian pear through the Co-op.  We're still selling these at the fruit stand, too, if you're able to stop by. Hoshigaki can also still be ordered through mail order by using the order form here on our website. 

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Orchard News

We have been featured quite a few times in the news lately.  Gold Country media has photos and an article about our orchard and our efforts to donate to the Placer County Food Bank.  Last week we were featured on National Public Radio's California Report and KQED's Bay Area Bites.  These news stories have brought a lot of people out to the orchard in search of maru (chocolate) persimmons. Chris and Tosh are also on the cover of the farm magazine Minority Landowner in their 2012 Farmers of the Year issue. 

The show Huell Howser did about persimmons and making hoshigaki at Otow orchard for the PBS TV show California Gold will air Nov. 20th on the PBS stations KVIE/ Sacramento at 7:00 PM.  A few years ago, he and the show's crew came and spent part of a day interviewing and filming Helen, Chris and Tosh about drying persimmons.  Since then the show has aired a few times a year.

People are welcome to visit the orchard to see the persimmons drying.  Visitors can also go to our fruit stand and take walks in the orchard.  We're open Tues. through Sat.,  9-6 and Sun. from 10-5.  We're closed only on Mondays. If you want to visit the orchard for an organized group tour, please call ahead to schedule a time.  Other groups have already arranged times to come, and we want to be able to give everyone good attention.  Because we're a small farm with only a few workers, we need to know ahead of time to have enough staff available to help out.

If you're able to drive to our orchard, you can buy hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmons) at our fruit stand.  If you live too far away you can order hoshigaki through mail orderRight now we're still accepting mail orders, but it's important to get orders in as soon as possible.  When we think this year's supply has been ordered, we'll need to stop accepting new orders and there will be a notice here on the orchard blog.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Hoshigaki & the Fruit Stand

Over the past few weeks we've had a few days of rain, which has slowed hoshigaki drying a bit.  When it rains we have to leave the freshly peeled persimmons that are on the outside racks covered. When it's sunny the rack is uncovered during the day so the fruit can be exposed to the wind and sun to help with drying.  In damp air the sticks of persimmons hanging in the inside rooms are more difficult to massage without damaging them.  

We're still peeling persimmons to start new hoshigaki because the persimmons are still hard enough to peel.  Sometime we'll need to stop peeling because the persimmons will either be mostly too ripe to dry well or the weather will be too cool or damp for them to dry well.  Right now we're still taking orders for pick up at the fruit stand or mail order. If you'd like to pick up more than a pound of hoshigaki at our fruit stand, it's a good idea to call ahead We've started sending out hoshigaki mail orders that were ordered earlier this fall.     
 
Did you know that you could make persimmon-pumpkin pie?  One way is to take a recipe for pumpkin pie and substitute half the amount of pumpkin with persimmon pulp.  Here's a link to a photo and recipe for persimmon-pumpkin pie from an earlier post.  

Here's what we have at the fruit stand now:

  • Persimmons--Fuyu, Maru (chocolate), vodka-treated hyakume, hachiya (soft or firm), hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmons)
  • Pomegranate--white variety (cream to pink outside, softer, sweeter pink seeds) red variety
  • Asian Pears--Shinko, Okusankichi
  • Apples--Granny Smith 
  • Winter Squash--Butternut, Kabocha (many varieties), Red Kuri, pie pumpkins 
  • Vegetables--Winter melon (togan), green tomatoes, Swiss chard, herbs
  • Decorative Gourds
  • Honey--from bees at our orchard 
  • Eggs--from free range chickens
  • Beeswax candles--handmade 100% beeswax from the orchard
  • The Art of Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenney
  • Perfectly Persimmon Cookbook--1004 persimmon recipes by Jean Brine
  •  The California Persimmon, a persimmon cookbook published by the University of California Cooperative Extension, Placer and Nevada Counties. 
  • Master Gardeners Calender--by Placer County Master Gardeners

Friday, November 2, 2012

Persimmons, Pears & Producers Co-op

If not pollinated, all of these pollination variant types of persimmons will be astringent until very soft.
Maru ("chocolate", Nagamaru, Hyakume & Nishimura Wase ("coffee cake") persimmons, (l. to r. in pairs)
This month our orchard is selling some of our persimmons and Asian pears through the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative We are offering maru ("chocolate"), fuyu and hachiya persimmons as well as later varieties of Asian pear.

Through the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative you can order local grass-fed, hormone free beef, lamb, pork and chicken, as well as eggs, honey, olive oil, jams, mandarins, persimmons and other produce and cheese. This month free range turkeys are also available. Orders are made online and then you choose one of four locations to pick up your order.  Locations are Otow Orchard (in Granite Bay), Sinclair Family Farm (in Penryn), Smoky's (in Truckee) and Tahoe Wellness (in Kings Beach). The next delivery from the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative to our orchard will be Friday, Nov. 19th from 4:00-5:00. Orders must be sent in by 4:00 PM Friday, Nov. 9th.   

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Fuyu "Five for Four" Coupon


We've been picking a lot of fuyu persimmons for the fruit stand.  Fuyu persimmons  are sweet when they're firm, there's no need to wait and eat them when they're soft.  Fuyus are sometimes called "apple persimmon" in stores because you can eat them when they're firm like an apple.  Usually fuyus are seedless, but occasionally they do have seeds.
From Oct.  30th to Nov. 11th you can use the coupon below to get a free pound of fuyu persimmons if you buy four pounds.   Just print out the coupon and bring it with you to the fruit stand. 
**********************************************

Buy 4 lbs. of Fuyu Persimmons
at Regular Price, Get the 5th lb. Free 

Coupon valid from Oct. 30 to Nov 11, 2012 at 
 OTOW ORCHARD
 6232 Eureka Rd., Granite Bay, CA
(916) 791-1656 
 Hours: Tue.– Sat. 9am to 6pm, Sun. 10am –5pm 
Closed on Mon.

This coupon is good for one free pound of fuyu of equal or lesser value when you buy 4 lbs.  Limit one coupon per shopping trip or day. Must present coupon at time of purchase. Not valid with other offers. Coupon cannot be redeemed for cash.

Hoshigaki update

Toshio demonstrating hoshigaki at the Open House
Hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) is now for sale at the fruit stand.  We expect that by the weekend we should have both grade A and grade B hoshigaki available.  We grade the hoshigaki as premium, grade A or B, depending on how soft it is.  Ripeness of the persimmons, how fast they dry,  temperature, humidity and how much a persimmon gets massaged are all factors that affect the softness of the finished hoshigaki.  If you'd like to pick up more than a pound of hoshigaki, it's a good idea to call ahead and have us set some aside for you.   

We haven't yet started sending out the hoshigaki through mail order.  Only premium grade hoshigaki is sent out by mail order and we don't yet have enough to start mailing it out.  We expect to begin sending out mail orders around Thanksgiving time. If you'd like to order hoshigaki through mail order, please get your order in as soon as possible Orders are filled in the order they're received, and we fill orders as soon as we can, but since the process is weather dependent, some of it is beyond our control.   

Hoshigaki-making is in full swing at the orchard.  We are spending lots of time peeling fresh persimmons and stringing them up in pairs.  The pairs of persimmons are then strung together in pairs and hung on sticks to dry.  The drying racks are almost completely full of these drying pairs of persimmons.   The sticks of drying persimmons first hang outside in the sun for a number of days until they develop a second more leathery skin on the outside and become soft enough to massage.  We massage each persimmon to break up the pulp inside and help it dry more evenly. Lately we've spend hours a day massaging the hoshigaki, with Chis and Tosh even spending hours massaging at night.

After the first massage, the persimmons usually go to the "hot house", which is a small warm out-building with windows and doors that can open, with good air circulation.  After spending a few days in the hot house, the persimmons are massaged again and brought to the big drying room, where they'll get massaged and checked every few days.  The persimmons have become finished hoshigaki after they develop a powdery sugar on the surface.  This drying process takes around 6 weeks on average, depending on the weather.  In cooler or more damp weather the process can take 10 weeks.

This year, the persimmons ripened a few weeks earlier than usual, so we were able to start peeling earlier.  We have had mostly warm weather up until this week with only a few days of rain so far this fall, so the drying process has been going along quickly so far.  When the weather gets colder, the persimmons start softening on the trees.  Eventually the persimmons become too soft to peel, so we'll have to stop.  After that we won't be able to start any new persimmons to become hoshigaki and make up this season's supply. 

In the photo above you can see Toshio talking about hoshigaki to visitors at our recent open house.  At this open house we had a raffle and the first prize winner was unreachable by the phone number on the ticket.  If you have a stub for ticket 880049, bring it to the fruit stand after Nov. 30th and you can get the prize, (a pound of premium hoshigaki).

 

Monday, October 8, 2012

Fruit Stand and Producers Cooperative

This year for the first time we have fresh chestnuts.  We also now have pippen and mutsu (also called crispin) apples. Other new items at the fruit stand are white pomegranate, winter squash, pumpkins and gourds.  Our pumpkin patch is now open for picking your own pumpkin, too. 

We've been peeling lots of persimmons for hoshigaki, but we don't yet have any finished from this season.  The drying process takes around six weeks at this time of year.  To order hoshigaki (dried persimmon) through mail order, please print out our order form and send in your order with a check.  We don't yet have hoshigaki in the fruit stand for sale.

Here's what we have in the fruit stand now:
  • Persimmons--Maru (chocolate), soft hachiya
  • Apples--Fuji, Mutsu, Golden Delicious
  • Pomegranate--white variety (cream to pink outside, softer, sweeter pink seeds)
  • Plums--Casselman
  • Asian Pear--20th Century, New Century, Yoi, Shinko
  • European Pear--Comic, D'Anjou
  • Chestnuts
  • Jujube
  • Grapes--Muscat
  • Vegetables--Tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplant (Japanese and Italian), sweet peppers, hot chiles (jalapeno and fish), Swiss chard
  • Winter Squash--Butternut, Kabocha, Acorn
  • Herbs--Basil, oregano, mint (cut if you ask)
  • Pumpkins--at the fruit stand or pick your own
  • Decorative Gourds
  • Honey--from bees at our orchard
  • Beeswax candles--handmade 100% beeswax from the orchard
  • The Art of Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenney
  • Perfectly Persimmon Cookbook--1004 persimmon recipes by Jean Brine
  • Master Gardeners Calender--by Placer County Master Gardeners
Through the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative you can order local, naturally grown and raised meats, eggs, cheese, honey, olive oil, produce and products such sauces and marmalades. October orders must be made by Friday, Oct. 12th at 4:00 PM.  You can pick up your order in one of five locations including Otow Orchard at scheduled times during the week of Oct. 15th.  The next delivery at our orchard will be from 4:00 - 5:00 PM on Friday, Oct.  21st.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Placer Farm & Barn Open House

Our orchard is part of this year's Placer Farm and Barn Open House.  We are one of 14 sites that will be open on Sunday, Oct. 14th with tours and activities to celebrate the county's agricultural heritage.  At our orchard from 10-5 we'll have fruit tasting and demonstrations on how to make hoshigaki and vodka persimmons.  Visitors will be able to see our horse and chickens as well as a mini-donkey named Alice and a mini-mule named Coco.  There will be a straw bale maze for kids to play on and a pumpkin patch where you can pick your own pumpkin.  The fruit stand will be open and people can go on tours of the orchard. 


We're also having a raffle to raise money for donations to the Placer Food Bank.  Funds raised will help us buy surplus fruit from local farmers that will be donated to the Food Bank.  Prizes include a pound of hoshigaki, 10 lbs. of mandarins and a gift certificate to our fruit stand. 

Twin Peaks Orchard will have jam for sale from their orchard in Newcastle.  Placer County Master Gardeners, the Placer Food Bank, 4-H, Wayne's Herbs, and the Granite Bay Girl Scouts will also be at the orchard with information tables. In the afternoon, Anatoli will be working with his bees in the apiary and visitors can go and watch. 

Presentations:

Hoshigaki:  The Ancient Art of Drying Persimmons:  10:30, 1:00, 4:00
Watch as Tosh and Toshio peel, hang, massage and explain the steps to making hoshigaki.
 
Orchard Diversity Above and Below Ground: 11:30, 2:30
Learn about Otow Orchard's sustainable practices to encourage biological diversity while growing fresh produce without synthetic chemicals, presented by Julie Steele. Julie's projects include worm composting, soil drenching, and compost tea.

Making Vodka Persimmons: 12:30, 3:00
Learn how we treat our hyakume persimmons with vodka to sweeten them. 

Orchard Tours:  11:00, 3:30

Monday, October 1, 2012

2012 Hoshigaki Mail Order Form

Hoshigaki in Gift Boxes
Hoshigaki and unpeeled hachiya persimmons
The new 2012 Hoshigaki Mail Order Form is now posted here on the website, under the "Hoshigaki/Persimmons" tab.  If you'd like to mail order hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) this year, please print out the order form and mail it back to us.

The continuing warm weather seems to be ripening the persimmons earlier than usual. We started peeling the first hachiya persimmons over the weekend.  Peeling is the first step in the hoshigaki process.  The persimmons need to be fully orange, but still firm enough to peel.  The peeled fruits are hung by their stems in pairs and massaged every few days to help them to dry evenly.  After peeling, each fruit takes around six weeks to dry, depending on the weather.  By the end of the drying process, each persimmon has developed a dusting of natural powdered sugar on its surface, and is soft and sweet.

Please keep in mind that because of these natural processes and weather variables, orders may take 8 to 12 weeks to ship.  It's important to get your order in as soon as possible, because supplies are limited to what we can produce while the weather permits.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Jujube and Early Persimmons

Jujube
We have jujube now at the fruit stand.  A jujube is a a fruit that looks kind of like a small apple but has a drier texture with more complex flavors.  It can be eaten when it's crunchy or more mature and wrinkly.  It's nutritious and used sometimes for medicinal purposes.  "Chinese date" and natsume are other names for jujube.    

The persimmons on the trees are getting color earlier than usual, maybe because of the late warm weather.  We've even picked some soft hachiya persimmons and the first maru (or chocolate) persimmons already.  These early hachiya and maru are smaller and not as sweet as they should be later in the season.  

Many people have been asking about this year's mail order form for hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon).  We plan to post it next week on this website.  Although all the persimmons seem to ripening early this year, the hachiya and gyombo varieties we use for are still not quite orange enough yet to start peeling them for drying into hoshigaki.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Grapes

Lots of delicious grapes are at the fruit stand now.  We have small seedless red flame grapes and larger Ribier red grapes with seeds.  We also have a small amount of Kyoho grapes.  New also are golden delicious apples.  

We still have many ripe tomatoes of different types. If you'd like tomatoes for canning or freezing, please call and talk to us.  We can reserve tomatoes, (incuding seconds) for you.

What's at the fruit stand now:  

  • Grapes--Red Flame, Ribier
  • Apples--Northern Spy, Golden Delicious
  • Plums--Casselman, Kelsey, Elephant Heart, El Dorado
  • Asian Pear--Hosui, 20th Century, New Century, Yoi, Shinko
  • European Pear--Bartlett, Comice
  • Figs--Black Mission and Brown Turkey
  • Tomatoes & Tomatillos--various sizes of red tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, paste tomatoes
  • Vegetables--eggplant (Japanese and Italian), sweet peppers, hot chiles (jalapeno and fish), Chinese long beans, summer squash and zucchini, cucumber, Swiss chard
  • Herbs--Basil, oregano, mint (cut if you ask)
  • Honey--from bees at our orchard
  • Beeswax candles--handmade 100% beeswax from the orchard
  • The Art of Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenney



Friday, September 7, 2012

Asian vs. European Pears, Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative

Hosui and Bartlett pears
What's the difference between Asian pears and European pears? 

Asian pears are firmer and more like an apple in texture.  They're ripe and meant to be eaten when they're crisp like this.  If you wait for an Asian pear to become soft, then it will be overripe, mushy and bland tasting.  When we pick Asian pears from the trees, they're crisp, juicy and ready to eat right then.  There are many varieties of Asian pears that grow well in our area and ripen from August to November.  Most are roundish with skin ranging from yellow-green to brown.   Okusankichi, the largest variety of Asian pear we grow, is also the latest to ripen in November.

European pears are smoother textured and soft when ripe.  Bartlett, Comice, and D'Anjou are varieties of European pears that we grow at the orchard.  All these varieties of European pears must be picked from the trees when they're hard, green and unripe, then stored until they ripen.  If left to ripen on the trees, European pears are likely to be rotten in the core by the time they become yellow and soft on the outside.   We pick Bartlett, Comice, and D'Anjou when they're green, then ripen them slowly in the fruit stand or refrigerator until they're sweet, yellow and soft. Another way to ripen European pears is pick them green and wrap them in newspaper in a cool dark place (like in a box under the bed). 

Right now in the fruit stand we have many varieties of Asian pear (Hosui, Shinko, Yoi, New Century, 20th Century, Niitaka) and Bartlett and Comice European pear.  We're also selling Asian pear through the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative for the month of September.  

Through the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative you can order local, naturally grown and raised meats, eggs, cheese, honey, olive oil, produce and products such sauces and marmalades. September orders must be made by Friday, Sept 14th at 4:00 PM.  You can pick up your order in one of five locations including Otow Orchard at scheduled times during the week of Sept. 17th.  The next delivery at our orchard will be from 4:00 - 5:00 PM on Friday, Sept. 21st.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Figs & Apples

We picked some of the first apples in the orchard and have some for sale at the fruit stand now. It seems that the recent week of hundred degree weather has ripened some apples earlier than usual.  The second crop of figs is now coming in, too. 

If you'd like to order Kelsey plums or Asian pears for dehydrating, please call ahead and let us know.  Kelsey plums and Asian pears make great fruits for dehydrating, because they dry sweet but not sticky and are healthy snacks. 

Here's what's at the fruit stand now:

  • Apples--Northern Spy, Gala
  • Peaches--O'Henry, Alberta, Faye Alberta, '49er (all yellow varieties)
  • Plums--Casselman, Kelsey, Elephant Heart, El Dorado, Late Duarte
  • Pluots--Dapple Dandy
  • Asian Pear--Hosui, 20th Century, New Century
  • European Pear--Bartlett
  • Figs--Black Mission and Brown Turkey
  • Tomatoes--various sizes of red tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, paste tomatoes
  • Vegetables--Summer squash and zucchini, cucumber, eggplant, Chinese long beans, Swiss chard, large red & white onions
  • Herbs--Basil, oregano, mint (cut if you ask)
  • Honey--from bees at our orchard
  • Beeswax candles--handmade 100% beeswax from the orchard
  • The Art of Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenney

Friday, August 3, 2012

Fay, Nashi, & Kelsey

"Peaches are ripe, use a box"--choosing peaches at the Fruit Stand. Kelsey plums are in the front.
Some of the first two early varieties of Asian pear (nashi)  were picked this week and are now at the fruit stand.    Both are small, round and juicy though one is yellow and the other is brown.  Asian pears are sometimes called "apple pears" because they're crisp like an apple rather than soft like European pears. The orchard has many varieties of Asian pears that ripen from now through December. 

Fay Elberta peaches have been picked, too.  Fay Elbertas are juicy, sweet and flavorful yellow peaches that feel smooth and melty in your mouth.  They're good for eating fresh or for canning or jam. 

Another new addition to the fruit stand is Kelsey Plums.  Kelseys are large green plums that are firm, sweet and tart.  They become softer and sweeter as they change from green to yellow to pinkish, although you can eat them at any of their stages of color.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative

The Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative will make their August delivery at our orchard on Friday, Aug. 17th.  Orders must be received online by Friday, Aug 10th.  Through the Producers Cooperative you can order locally  and naturally raised beef, lamb, chicken,  and other local products such as eggs, cheese, honey, olive oil, jam, sauces and  produce. The name has recently been changed from the "Meat Buyers Club" since so many other local products are available too. If the Otow Orchard delivery isn't a convenient place or time, there are also deliveries in Auburn, Penryn, Truckee and Kings Beach.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Ripe Suncrest on sale

A flat of Suncrest Peaches
Suncrest peaches and white peaches are now at a reduced price at the fruit stand. Right now we have lots of these delicious peaches, but we won't for long, since they're ripe and fragile.

New at the fruit stand are Laroda and Eldorado plums, melons, pink grapefruit, tomatillos, onions and hardneck garlic.

Here's what's at the fruit stand now:  
  • Peaches--Suncrest, Red Haven, Gene Elberta, 49'er, Delight (all yellow varieties), Arctic White, White Lady, Babcock, Silver Logan (white varieties)  
  • Plums--Santa Rosa, Black Amber, Laroda, Eldorado, Frontier 
  • Melons--Galia, Durango 
  • Blackberries--wild from around the orchard 
  • Grapefruit--pink and white 
  • Vegetables--Tomatoes (regular, cherry, heirlooms), Zucchini, Summer Squash, Swiss chard, Eggplant (small Japanese and small Italian types), Cucumber (Japanese, Armenian, lemon), beans (green and Chinese long), peppers (sweet and hot), garlic (elephant and hardneck), onions (Extra large red and white
  • Herbs--Oregano, Mint, Basil (cut if you ask) 
  • Honey--from bees at our orchard 
  • Beeswax candles--handmade 100% beeswax
  • The Art of Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenney

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Tomatoes & Suncrest Peaches

Tomatoes are finally in at the fruit stand. They were a bit late this year, but now finally we have enough ripe tomatoes to put out in boxes to sell. We have regular red tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, paste tomatoes and some heirlooms. 

We also have Suncrest peaches at the fruit stand.  Suncrest peaches are juicy and flavorful yellow peaches with red steaks on the skin and inside.  Suncrest peaches are part of the Slow Food USA's Ark of Taste, meaning that they're a rare older variety that's in danger of not being produced or available for sale any longer.  They're delicious with fragile soft skin and flesh and a short shelf life which makes it difficult to ship them. David Mas Masumoto wrote about his family's effort to save this peach and their farm in the book, Epitaph for a Peach.  You can read more about his farm and community activities here.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Vegetables & White Peaches

Long beans in Obaachan's garden
We've been harvesting more vegetables from the gardens.  The recent hot weather has helped out the eggplant, peppers and beans and finally started ripening the tomatoes.  We haven't picked very many tomatoes yet, but there are still lots on the vines starting to turn red. 

New vegetables at the fruit stand are elephant garlic, hard neck garlic, large red and white onions and Chinese long beans.

There are a lot of white peaches at the fruit stand now, including Babcock, Silver Logan, Sugar Lady, White Lady, Arctic White and white donut varieties.   

All plums are still 20% off at the fruit stand, through Wednesday, July 18th. 

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

All Plums on Sale

Left to Right are Black Amber, Frontier, Santa Rosa, Satsuma and Beauty Plums.
For the next two weeks all plums at the fruit stand will be 20% off regular price. We have too many plums to fit in our fruit sand and cool room, so we hope customers will come help us out by taking advantage of the sale.

Here are the plum varieties we have:

  • Santa Rosa Plums--An favorite old-fashioned plum that's flavorful, sweet with a bit of tartness and fragrant.  Great for eating fresh or making jam.
  • Satsuma Plums--A Japanese variety of plum with a red jelly-like inside that's sweet and mild without tartness.  Also good for making jam because they have a lot of natural pectin. 
  • Black Amber Plums--A large, juicy, sweet plum with dark purple to black skin and yellow flesh. Eaten fresh or used in baking for cobblers or pies.   
  • Frontier Plums--Large plums with dark red skin and red flesh inside.  Sweet and a bit heart-shaped. 
  • Beauty Plums--Sweet, juicy and smaller plums with yellow flesh.  Also an old variety people might remember.

Again, for the next two weeks through July 17th, all plums are 20% off regular price. We have plum seconds available for making jam or baking, also.  If you'd like large quantities, please call ahead to order.  Our phone number is 916-791-1656.

We are also still giving out coupons.  If you spend $10.00 or more, you receive a coupon for $1.00 off fruits and vegetables to use on your next visit.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Fruit Stand and Meat Buyers Club

A Santa Rosa Plum
The next delivery from the Sierra Foothills Meat Buyers Club to our orchard will be Friday, June 20th from 4:30-5:00.  Orders must be sent in by 5:00 PM Friday, June 13th.  Through the Sierra Foothills Meat Buyers Club you can order local grass-fed, hormone free beef, lamb, pork and chicken, as well as eggs, honey, olive oil, jams and mandarin products.  New this month are goat cheese, summer squash and cucumber.  Orders are made online and then you choose one of four locations to pick up your order.  Locations are Otow Orchard (in Granite Bay), Sinclair Family Farm (in Penryn), Smoky's (in Truckee) and Tahoe Wellness (in Kings Beach).  


The fruit stand is full of fruit now.  We now have Black Mission figs, Blackberries, nectarines and Donut peaches.  Donut peaches are flat with a tiny pit in the middle.  


Here's what's at the Fruit Stand now:  

  • Blackberries
  • Figs--Black Mission
  • Peaches--Flavorcrest, Regina, Red Haven (all yellow varieties), Donut and Babcock (white varieties)
  • Plums--Santa Rosa, Black Amber, Satsuma, Beauty, Frontier
  • Nectarines--Jade (white variety)
  • Apricots--Patterson and Blenheim
  • Citrus Fruit--white Grapefruit, Valencia Oranges
  • Vegetables--Zucchini, Summer Squash, Swiss chard, Eggplant, Cucumber
  • Herbs--Oregano, Mint, Basil (cut if you ask)
  • Honey--from bees at our orchard
  • Beeswax candles--handmade 100% beeswax

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Santa Rosa Plums

We now have Santa Rosa plums at the fruit stand.  Santa Rosa plums are fragrant and sweet with a bit of tartness that gives them a distinct flavor.  They're yellow inside with dark red to purple skin.  We have a lot of very ripe Santa Rosas that are good for making flavorful jam as well as for just eating fresh.

Beauty plums have are also at the fruit stand.  Beauty plums are an old variety of plum that used to be packed and sent to the fruit shed in Loomis a lot of years ago.  Now just a few Beauty trees are left in the orchard.

Some of the Frontier plums have been picked, too.  Frontier plums are sweet and red inside with a red to purple skin.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Early Peaches

A sign that summer is here--the first peaches, zucchini, and apricots have been picked and are now available at the fruit stand. We have peaches from us and also from our neighbors, the Koyamas.  New also are handmade 100% beeswax candles made from beeswax that comes from bees at our orchard.  The one-pound candles burn for approximately 100 hours.  They are clean, soot-free and made of renewable material. 

Right now we're giving out coupons if you spend $10.00 or more.  The coupon gives you $1.00 off fruits and vegetables on your next visit.

Here's what's at the Fruit Stand now:

  • Cherries
  • Apricots
  • Peaches--May Crest, June Crest, Bonjour
  • Plums--Red Beaut
  • Loquat (Biwa)
  • Citrus Fruit--Grapefruit, Valencia Oranges, Eureka Lemons
  • Vegetables--Zucchini (limited supply), Swiss chard
  • Herbs--Oregano, Mint
  • Honey--from bees at our orchard
  • Beeswax candles--handmade 100% beeswax
  • Placer County Real Food Cookbook, by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenny
  • Applewood for barbeque

Friday, June 8, 2012

Local Meat & Fruit Stand

Pomegranate blossoms, fruits should be ripe by October
Through the Sierra Foothills Meat Buyer's Club you can order locally and naturally produced  beef, lamb, chicken, eggs, honey and other items like olive oil, jam and marinades.  You make an order online and pick it up the either at our orchard in Granite Bay, or in one of the other locations in Penryn, Truckee, Kings Beach or Auburn.  June orders need to be placed by 5:00 this coming Friday, June 8th.  Delivery at our orchard is the next Friday afternoon, June 15th.

We've been busy at the orchard lately mowing, thinning persimmons, picking cherries, fixing irrigation, planting winter squash and tending the vegetable gardens.  

At the fruit stand we now have:

  • Loquats
  • Red Beaut Plums
  • Cherries
  • Valencia Oranges
  • Grapefruit
  • Eureka Lemons
  • Herbs from the garden--oregano, mint
  • Swiss Chard
  • Applewood for Barbeque
  • Honey from bees at our orchard
  • Placer County Real Food Cookbook, by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenny

Thursday, May 31, 2012

First Plums

Bee hives at the orchard.
Red Beaut plums are now at the farm stand.  These are the earliest plums of the year.  Red Beauts have red skin with juicy amber colored flesh. We also have a limited supply of cherries for sale. At the farm stand you'll also find yellow grapefruit, Eureka lemons, Valencia oranges and local honey from bees at our orchard.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Plant Starts for Sale at the Orchard

One of the nice new signs Shoko made for the farm stand.
We have lots of organically grown seedlings from Peas and Harmony for sale now at the orchard.  The plant stand is full of many varieties of big healthy tomato plants, including heirloom, cherry, paste, slicing types. There are also pepper and eggplant seedlings and herbs.

Navel oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and eggs are for sale at the farm stand.  We've been busy in the orchard doing spring tasks such as fixing water boxes, hanging pheromone tags, thinning peaches, mowing grass and making rows in the vegetable gardens.  During the past few weeks we've planted zucchini, beans, and the first of the tomato seedlings.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Hoshigaki & Meat Buyer's Club

Viviano digging at the edge of his great-grandmother's garden with the chickens.

We're no longer sending out hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) through mail order.  This season's supply is getting low and the weather is  warm enough that the sugar formed on the outside may melt in shipping.  If you can visit the fruit stand, you can still pick some up or you can wait until October 2012 when we begin taking mail orders again.  Our orchard is open through out the year growing other seasonal fruit and vegetables.  Feel free to visit the farm stand or come take a walk in the orchard.  

The Sierra Foothills Meat Buyers Club will deliver naturally raised local meat, eggs, honey and other local products to our orchard on March 16th. To make an order for the Meat Buyers Club, place your order online by Friday, March 9th at 5:00 PM.

We have a lot of citrus fruit and kiwi for sale at the fruit stand.   

Here's what's at the fruit stand now: 
  • Mandarins--owari satsuma 
  • Navel Oranges
  • Blood Oranges
  • Grapefruit
  • Lemons--Meyer and Eureka
  • Kiwi 
  • Placer County Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenny
  • Eggs

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Blooming trees

Shoko planting trees.

It's a good time to visit the orchard and come take a walk. Plum trees are in bloom with white fluffy flowers and the peach trees are just starting to put out pink blossoms.  By the end of this week the orchard should be full of pink and white flowering trees.

Unfortunately, it's been a very dry winter and spring, so we had to start irrigation for the trees earlier than usual. The trees needed more water before blossoming.  

During the past few weeks we've finished pruning the last trees, like the persimmon and olive trees.  We've also planted around 70 new trees, mostly peaches and few plums. We plan to hang pheromones in the stone fruit trees for the first time this year to hopefully help with pest control.

In the gardens we're starting to make rows for planting.  The first tomato seedlings are growing in the hot house.  We usually plant out tomato seedlings around April 15th, depending on the weather.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Oranges & Grapefruit

Ume branches in bloom (Japanese sour plum)
Blood oranges and grapefruit are now picked and at the fruit stand.  If you like soft persimmons, we have the very last ones of the season now.  We're still selling hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) at the fruit stand and through mail order, while supplies last.  Maybe hoshigaki would make a good Valentines or Chinese new year gift?

 The next delivery for the Sierra Foothills Meat Buyers Club will be at our orchard from 4:00 - 5:00 on Friday, Feb. 17th. Orders need to be received by Fri.,  Feb. 10th at 5:00.  Through the Sierra Foothills Meat Buyers Club you can order local naturally grown pork and lamb, grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, eggs, honey and other local products. 

Here's what's at the fruit stand now:
  • Mandarins--owari satsuma
  • Navel Oranges
  • Blood Oranges
  • Lemons
  • Kiwi
  • Hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) 
  • Soft Persimmons
  • Perfectly Persimmon Cookbook--1004 persimmon recipes by Jean Brine
  • Placer County Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenny
  • Eggs

Friday, January 27, 2012

Winter Orchard News


We picked the first lemons and kiwi and now have them for sale at the fruit stand. The very last hoshigaki is finishing drying in the last drying room.  We're still taking mail orders for hoshigaki and we have some for sale at the fruit stand.

At the end of last week, we finally got a few days of heavy rain, the first major rain of the winter.  Hopefully the rainfall will catch up to at least the usual amount this year.  Just before the rain it got unusually cold, as you can see in the photo. We had to turn on the irrigation to help protect the citrus from frost, and the spray froze and made interesting patterns.  The ice is supposed to insulate the trees and raise the temperature a few degrees. The first trees are flowering right now, too.  Both the white and pink flowering ume (Japanese plum) started blossoming, and the loquat (biwa) is almost finished.  

Sadly, our rooster was carried away by a coyote and eaten.  On one of the windy, rainy days my daughter heard what she thought sounded like a goose fighting with the chickens by the garden. She looked to see what was going on and saw a coyote carrying the squawking rooster in its mouth and then taking off through the orchard.   The photo in the previous post shows "Blue" the blue Orpington rooster by the edge of the garden where the coyote took him away.

Here's what's at the fruit stand now:

  • Mandarins--owari satsuma
  • Kiwi
  • Lemons
  • Navel Oranges
  • Hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) 
  • Persimmons--Hachiya, Fuyu, Maru (chocolate), Hyakume (all soft now)
  • Pomegranates--white variety
  • Perfectly Persimmon Cookbook--1004 persimmon recipes by Jean Brine
  • Placer County Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenny
  • 2012 Master Gardeners Calender
  • Eggs

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Meat Buyers Club & Late Mandarins & Persimmons

Chickens in the orchard by a mandarin tree.
New at the fruit stand now are navel orangesGrapefruit and kiwi should be coming soon. We still have lots of mandarins at the fruit stand, including  owari satsuma and another orange-red variety of satsuma.  Both are sweet and easy to peel mandarins, the difference is that the orange-red satsuma variety is darker on the outside and less acidic.

Surprisingly, there's still a good supply of persimmons at the fruit stand.  We have soft hachiya, firmer vodka-treated hyakume, fuyu and maru ('chocolate') persimmons.  Since both persimmons and mandarins ripened late this year, they're available later than usual. 

In late December KCRA channel 3 News came to visit the orchard to do a story on hoshigaki (Japanese hand dried persimmons).  You can see a slide show on the KCRA website.  The Nikkei West newspaper visited too and has an article about hoshigaki and Otow Orchard on the front page of the current issue.

The last hoshigaki is drying and we're down to only one drying room full now.  We still need to check on the hoshigaki to see how they're drying and massage them every few days until they're finished.  Shoko has been busy packing them up and sending out mail orders.  We're still taking hoshigaki orders for pick up at the fruit stand and by mail order, too.   

The next delivery for the Sierra Foothills Meat Buyers Club will be at our orchard from 4:00 - 5:00 on Friday, Jan. 20th. Orders need to be received by Fri., Jan. 13th at 5:00.  Through the Sierra Foothills Meat Buyers Club you can order local naturally grown pork and lamb, grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, eggs and honey.  New this month are mandarins, navel oranges, meyer lemons and mandarin sauces.  Monthly deliveries are at our orchard in Granite Bay, Community Ink in Truckee,  Confluence Kitchen in Auburn and Sinclair Family Farm in Penryn.

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