It's not winter, so hoshigaki season is on the back burner. It is still available at the farm stand but not through mail order. And now we switch our attention to things of summer like stone fruit and veggies.
The peach season has started but it seems that they sell almost as soon as they are brought into the farm stand. Don't worry, much more is on the way. A few lucky customers were able to snag some of the Springrose or Springcrest peaches. There will soon be Maycrest and Junecrest. Then we will start harvesting Flavorcrest and Regina peaches.
Apricots are happy this year. I'm not sure why but something in the weather we were handed was agreeable to them. Robada and Royal Rosa apricots sold out quickly. Now we are bring in Blenheim (Royal) and Patterson. Both are excellent varieties.
It is an unusual year. Not only do we have a good harvest of apricots but there are also respectable nectarines on the trees. Meaning they are not quite as scarred up and cracked as we normally have. There will be a limited amount of white Jade nectarines in the near future.
Loquats are now producing small, sweet and juicy fruit. Between the large brown seed and the firm yellow skin is sweet juicy flesh.
SANTA ROSA plums are starting ripen. These are the most popular and sought after variety of plums. They have a distinctive flavor and enticing fragrance. They are both sweet and sour at the beginning of the season. Later ones are all sweet and juicy.
We are now offering flowers. The fresh flower bouquets are coming from La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis. The bouquets are garden fresh and contain colorful in-season blooms. Come check them out.
Slowly the gardens are starting to produce. Green and yellow summer squash have both made their debut. A few Sungold cherry tomatoes are getting ready. Sorry, but big tomatoes and cucumber are weeks away.
Last fall we dried and massaged persimmons to make hoshigaki. The ones that did not sell were stored in the freezer. We will be slowly selling these at the farm stand. Most of the hoshigaki that we will be selling are firmer or not as sugared as we like. Nonetheless they retain the favor of hoshigaki. We cut firmer hoshigaki into strips and are sold in snack bags. All this this say hoshigaki is not available through mail order at this time. Most likely mail order will be available late November and December. People are encouraged to look for the 2025 Mail order form in October and send their order in early.
Hours
Tues thru Sat 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 to 5:00
Closed on Mondays
Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard.
Apricots:
Patterson: This apricot has good flavor and can be used for canning, baking drying and fresh eating. When ripened it is both flavorful and sweet with tangy background.
Blenheim (Royal): Old and very popular variety. Although small, this variety is aromatic and full of flavor. Don't be fooled by the greenish shoulders the Blenheim is juicy and sweet with tangy background. Customers keep coming back for them. Blenheims are used for canning baking, drying and fresh eating.
Loquat:
A subtropical fruit popularized in Asia. Loquat are small round or
pear-shaped fruit that grow in clusters. They are covered with a downy
orange skin. The flesh is also orange containing 2 to 4 oval brown
seeds. The taste is tangy, sweet and juicy. We often refer to these as
memory fruit. Children walking to school would sampling them from
landscape trees along their route to school.
PEACHES
Maycrest: Yellow freestone peach.
Junecrest: Yellow freestone peach.
Flavorcrest: Yellow freestone peach.
Regina: Yellow freestone peach.
PLUMS
Santa Rosa: Old sought after variety for their rich aromatic flavor. Early season Santa Rosa have yellow flesh that is sweet tart. Late season Santa Rosa have red flesh and are all sweet. Soon their fragrance will fill our farm stand. They are great for fresh eating and have been known to win jam contest for their flavor and sweet tart contrast.
Hoshigaki :
These are whole dried persimmons. They were hand massaged while they
dried over a period of four to eight weeks. Some are firm, others are
soft and moist. All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon
sugar. No sugar added and no preservatives used. We strive to make the
best hoshigaki without any shortcuts. This takes time and attention
during the drying season. Hoshigaki are now available in the farm
stand. Contact us for large on-farm
pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.
Hoshigaki strips: These are pieces of hoshigaki sliced for easy snacking.
Hachiya Pulp: Frozen
Hachiya persimmon pulp is available. Often used to make cookies,
puddings and breads. Many customers put it on yogurt and oatmeal or
add it to their smoothie.
Eureka Lemons: These are very tart lemons. Great for contrast in sweet and sour recipes like: lemonade, lemon meringue pie, sweet and sour pork, and lemon bars.
Yellow grapefruit: Sweet tart grapefruit with yellow flesh. This variety has great flavor.
Local Honey Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard is also available.
⚘ Calendula Salve and Lip Balm: Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.
Peach trees: We have a few peach trees for planting. Regina peaches are a yellow freestone peach that is harvested around the end of June.
Pakistani Mulberries: Long dark mulberries. Very sweet. Available only to those on the request list. Call to get on the list.
Summer Squash:
Green and Yellow Zucchini.
Yellow crookneck
Here is what we have from other producers:
Stoney Point Orchard, Loomis, CA organic certified:
Rio Red Grapefruit: Juicy and sweet with a bit of tartness. Flesh is pink.
La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens. Limited supply.
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