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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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. 

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.

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

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.

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

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