PERSIMMONS

Gradually the persimmon season is getting under way.  We now have most of the varieties to offer.

From top left in the photo :  Hachiya, Fuyu, Maru, Nagamaru, and Coffee Cake (Nishimura Wase).  From bottom left:  Hachiya, Sliced Fuyu, Sliced Maru, and Hyakume.

Other fruit we have to offer are jujube, quince and Asian pears.  

As tomatoes and cucumbers slow down we are beginning to plant winter veggies.  Broccolini, kale, komatsuna, arugula and lettuce seeds are being placed in their new beds.  Onions are starting in plug trays.  Meanwhile we are waiting for the winter squashes to mature so they can be harvested.  That will allow us to use their space to plant other winter vegetables.  So stay tuned.

      Hours

Tues through Sat  10:00 to 6:00

Sunday            11:00 to 5:00  

Closed on Monday

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard.

VEGETABLES:

Winter Squash:  Delicata is a cylindrical winter squash. It's ribs are yellow, green and/or orange.  Skin is thin and edible.  Flesh is sweet.  Can be steamed, baked, roasted, or added to soups.

Tomatoes: Small red slicers and salad tomatoes.  These fresh, sweet tomatoes are great for salads, sandwiches, and pizza.  The smaller ones and blemished ones I use in stew and soup.  Sometimes I just bite and add salt. (Limited supply.)

 

Sakura Cherry Tomatoes:  Large, sweet, red cherry tomatoes.(Limited supply.)

Sungold Cherry Tomatoes:  Bright yellow orange cherry tomatoes known for their bright fruity flavor. A summertime favorite on our farm. (Limited supply.)

Basil:  Fragrant and flavorful.  Can be used in salads, sauces and pesto. 

Zucchini:   (Limited supply.)

Asian Cucumbers:  Burpless, seedless and thin skinned cucumbers.  Refreshing, crisp, and tender.  Eaten as a summer snack, or added into salad or pickled.  Great flavor. (Limited supply.)

Can cucumbers have fun?

 

Eggplant: The oval shaped eggplants are Italian varieties.  The long skinny ones are the Asian varieties. The shiny skin is deep purple, purple or purple striped. Flesh is creamy white and tender usually with tiny edible seeds. When cooked the flesh is rich, meaty and takes on cooking flavor. Eggplant are versatile and can be baked, sauteed, grilled or roasted. Popular dished are Eggplant Parmesan, Baba Ganoush or Ratatouille. 

Okra:  Small finger shaped green vegetable.  Mildly flavored with a slimy texture when cut.  Delicious when young ones are eaten raw. Cooked, they can be fried or added to soups and stews.  I enjoy slicing and mixing them with egg and cornmeal. Then I fry them as patties. (Limited supply.)

 Chili:

Jalapenos:     Spicy green chiles for adding flavor.

Habaneros:    Spicy green or yellow chiles. 

           Shishito:  Spicy or not it is just a guess. Eat them fresh or saute them in olive oil with salt.  (Limited supply.) 

FRUIT:

 

PEARS: 

 Asian Pears: 

Shinko:   Large brown-skinned Asian pear.  Sweet flavor, juicy  and crunchy texture make it our most popular pear.

Yali:  Beautiful pear-shaped yellow Asian pear. These pears are sweet, juicy and have tender flesh. 

Olympic:  Very round, brown-skinned Asian pear.  It is crisp, juicy, sweet, and has a nice crunch.

 

APPLES: 

Red Delicious:  At Otow Orchard this variety is usually a striped red apple. Nonetheless, it is crisp, juicy, sweet, and refreshing.  Has a welcome fresh-off-the-tree taste. (Limited supply.)  

JUJUBE:  These little fruit are often called red dates or Chinese dates.  Some people prefer to eat them when they are crisp and yellower. Others wait for more brown or all brown skin to appear.  They start out crisp and begin to get sweeter and sweeter.  They are also enjoyed soft, chewy, and wrinkly. When very dry they are often added to soup for add sweetness and flavor. Fresh jujube have the texture of a sweet dry apple.  These are often eaten as an easy snack but watch out for the seed.

 

 GRAPES:                  

Kyoho:  Large dark skinned sweet grapes. These grapes have both seeds and flavor.

 PERSIMMONS:

Maru, Nagamaru, Coffee Cake:  These persimmons  are brown fleshed when pollinated.  They are sweet and can be eaten hard  or softer.  For the novice, our recommendation is to cut the persimmon to see the sweet brown flesh before biting into the fruit.  Usually less than half of the persimmon is yellow fleshed and not edible.  Nagamaru is also known as Tsurunoko or Chocolate.  Coffee Cake is also called Nishimura Wase. These are chocolate persimmons because of the color, not because of the flavor!

 

Clockwise in the photo: Hyakume (cinnamon), Nagamaru (Tsurunoko, or Chocolate), Coffee Cake (Nishimura Wase), Maru.  Sliced Maru with brown sweet flesh and a bit of yellow puckery flesh.  Sliced yellow-fleshed Fuyu. Fuyu, Hachiya, almost soft Hachiya.

 

Hachiya:  These are tall, orange, acorn-shaped persimmons that cannot be eaten till soft as pudding in a bag.  They become soft, sweet and juicy. It was suggested that you bite a little hole in the skin and suck out the contents for a sweet treat.  Watch out for the seeds.

Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They are hand massaged while they dry 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.  We are currently selling hoshigaki at the farm stand. For on farm orders of more than 1 pound it is best to email or call us to make a pre order.  For mail orders, please see our web site in mid October for an updated order form.

Persimmon Pulp: Frozen pulp is available for baking or adding to oatmeal, smoothies, desserts or cereal. Some of our customers look forward to eating it like a popsicle!

 

POMEGRANATES: 

White Pomegranates :  It probably has a proper name, but the name has been lost since it was planted over a century ago.  We love this yellow-skinned variety because it is all sweet and the arils have a small edible core.

QUINCE:        

 Ancient fruit in the pear apple family.  It has a lot of pectin often used to thicken or gel sauces.  It is firm, fragrant and tart.  Usually cooked with a sweetener.  Traditionally used for jelly, paste and candy (Dulce de Membrillo).  I usually make quince sauce or add it to applesauce. Quince is often paired with pork dishes.

 

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.   

Here is what we have from other producers: 

Eggs:  La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis. Fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens. (Limited supply.)

Red cherry tomatoes:  Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  Grown by organic practices. (Limited supply.)

 Butternut squash:  Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  Grown by organic practices. Sweet, nutty orange fleshed winter squash.  Roast, bake or mash and add to soup or casseroles. (Limited supply.)  

 

 

CHOCOLATE PERSIMMONS

    Suddenly persimmon season is starting. For the past month as we finished our peach and plum harvest I watched the persimmons gradually fill in their orange color.  Some of the varieties are ready for harvest while most are just starting to make their way to maturity.  First to mature are the brown fleshed or chocolate persimmons.  Sorry too disappoint, chocolate refers to the color, not  the flavor.  When these persimmons are pollinated in the spring, seeds form in the fruit.  The seeds influence the flesh to turn brown and sweet.  The more seeds the sweeter the fruit.  Occasionally you will get a brown fleshed persimmon that has only a few or no seeds and therefore only partially sweet or all astringent. We hesitantly predict that the Fuyu harvest may start by mid October.  We may begin to harvest firm Hachiya for drying at the beginning of October but the soft,  ripe ones are unpredictable.

     Peach and Plum season has ended at Otow Orchard.  We have a quickly depleting supply in our cool room.  Sadly it was an early and quick season.  Who knows what next year will bring.  Hopefully the trees can figure out how to produce under unpredictable weather patterns.

    Tomatoes are hanging on but are getting smaller and have more irregularities.  For now, they have retained good flavor and texture. Eggplant seem to be just getting started.  We have beautiful globes of black and striped purple eggplant.  The cucumbers are getting a second wind of production as the temperatures have moderated.  The summer squash are looking pretty sad but there is a field of happy winter squash that we will start harvesting in a week or two.

 

      Hours

Tues through Sat  10:00 to 6:00

Sunday            11:00 to 5:00  

Closed on Monday

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard.

VEGETABLES:

Tomatoes:  Red slicers and salad tomatoes.  Striped German and Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes.  These fresh, sweet tomatoes are great for salads, sandwiches, and pizza.  The smaller ones and blemished ones I use in stew and soup.  Sometimes I just bite and add salt. (Limited supply.)

 

Sakura Cherry Tomatoes:  Large, sweet, red cherry tomatoes.(Limited supply.)

Sungold Cherry Tomatoes:  Bright yellow orange cherry tomatoes known for their bright fruity flavor. A summertime favorite on our farm. (Limited supply.)

Basil:  Fragrant and flavorful.  Can be used in salads, sauces and pesto. 

Zucchini:  Green and yellow summer squash fresh out of the garden.  Tender green squash with white flesh. Great for sauteing, boiling, steaming, baking, roasting and adding to soup, stew and stir fry.(Limited supply.)

Asian Cucumbers:  Burpless, seedless and thin skinned cucumbers.  Refreshing, crisp, and tender.  Eaten as a summer snack, or added into salad or pickled.  Great flavor.

Can cucumbers have fun?

 

Slicing Cucumbers: Fresh, green cucumbers to add to your summer salads. 

Eggplant: The oval shaped eggplants are Italian varieties.  The long skinny ones are the Asian varieties. The shiny skin is deep purple, purple or purple striped. Flesh is creamy white and tender usually with tiny edible seeds. When cooked the flesh is rich, meaty and takes on cooking flavor. Eggplant are versatile and can be baked, sauteed, grilled or roasted. Popular dished are Eggplant Parmesan, Baba Ganoush or Ratatouille. 

Okra:  Small finger shaped green vegetable.  Mildly flavored with a slimy texture when cut.  Delicious when young ones are eaten raw. Cooked they can be fried or added to soups and stews.  I enjoy slicing them and mixing them with egg and cornmeal. Then I fry them as patties. 

 Chili:

Jalapenos:     Spicy green chiles for adding flavor.

           Shishito:  Spicy or not it is just a guess. Eat them fresh or saute them in olive oil with salt.    

FRUIT:

 

PEARS: 

D'anjou:  European green pear. This pear is usually enjoyed while on the green side  while crisp.  It is sweet and tasty.  Often eaten out of hand, added to salads or  baked.

 Asian Pears: 

20th Century (Nijisseki): Mildly sweet yellow Asian pear.    It has a smooth round shape with fine texture. Known for its thirst quenching quality providing juice when eaten.

Shinko:   Large brown skinned Asian pear.  Sweet flavor and crunchy texture make it our most popular pear.

Yali:  Beautiful pear-shaped yellow Asian pear. These pears are sweet, juicy and have tender flesh. 

 

APPLES: 

Red Delicious:  At Otow Orchard this variety is usually a striped red apple. Nonetheless, it is crisp, juicy, sweet, and refreshing.  Has a welcome fresh-off-the-tree taste. (Limited supply.)  

JUJUBE:  These little fruit are often called red dates or Chinese dates.  Some people prefer to eat them when they are crisp and yellower. Others wait for more brown or all brown skin to appear.  They start out crisp and begin to get sweeter and sweeter.  They are also enjoyed soft, chewy, and wrinkly. When very dry they are often added to soup for add sweetness and flavor. Fresh jujube have the texture of a sweet dry apple.  These are often eaten as an easy snack but watch out for the seed.  We are currently harvesting two varieties:  Li and GA 866.

 

 GRAPES:

Thompson Seedless:  Small yellow seedless grapes. Known for being tender with sweet mild flavor.                        

Kyoho:  Large dark skinned sweet grapes. These grapes have both seeds and flavor.
 

Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They are hand massaged while they dry 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.  We are currently selling hoshigaki at the farm stand. For on farm orders of more than 1 pound it is best to email or call us to make a pre order.  

Hoshigaki strips:  Thin slices of hoshigaki for snacking.

Persimmon Pulp: Frozen pulp is available for baking or adding to oatmeal, smoothies, desserts or cereal. Some of our customers look forward to eating it like a popsicle!

 

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.   

Here is what we have from other producers: 

Eggs:  La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis. Fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens. (Limited supply.)

Red cherry tomatoes:  Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  Grown by organic practices. 

 Butternut squash:  Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  Grown by organic practices. Sweet, nutty orange fleshed winter squash.    

Roast, bake or mash and add to soup or casseroles.

 

FALL IS PEEKING

 Leaves are still green but fall fruit are beginning to appear.  Pears and apples are starting to come off the trees.  We have a few varieties of grapes coming off the vines.  Summer fruit is barely hanging on.  Just a few peaches and plums to offer.

 Garden veggies are slowing down.  The hot weather stunted tomato formation.  Although we continue to have some tomatoes, we are hoping for a second flush.  Some squash plants up and died but it looks like we will get some production from the late squash planting. Meanwhile, long tendrils of winter squash are reaching toward all corners of the garden. Delicata, Butternut and Kaboch should be ready for harvest in a month if all goes as planned.

 

 

      Hours

Tues through Sat  10:00 to 6:00

Sunday            11:00 to 5:00  

Closed on Monday

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard.

VEGETABLES:

Tomatoes:  Red slicers and salad tomatoes.  Striped German and Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes.  These fresh, sweet tomatoes are great for salads, sandwiches, and pizza.  The smaller ones and blemished ones I use in stew and soup.  Sometimes I just bite and add salt. (Limited supply.)

 

Sakura Cherry Tomatoes:  Large, sweet, red cherry tomatoes.(Limited supply.)

Sungold Cherry Tomatoes:  Bright yellow orange cherry tomatoes known for their bright fruity flavor. A summertime favorite on our farm. (Limited supply.)

Basil:  Fragrant and flavorful.  Can be used in salads, sauces and pesto. 

Zucchini:  Green and yellow summer squash fresh out of the garden.  Tender green squash with white flesh. Great for sauteing, boiling, steaming, baking, roasting and adding to soup, stew and stir fry.(Limited supply.)

Asian Cucumbers:  Burpless, seedless and thin skinned cucumbers.  Refreshing, crisp, and tender.  Eaten as a summer snack, or added into salad or pickled.  Great flavor.

Can cucumbers have fun?

 

Slicing Cucumbers: Fresh, green cucumbers to add to your summer salads. 

Eggplant: The oval shaped eggplants are Italian varieties.  The long skinny ones are the Asian varieties. The shiny skin is deep purple, purple or purple striped. Flesh is creamy white and tender usually with tiny edible seeds. When cooked the flesh is rich, meaty and takes on cooking flavor. Eggplant are versatile and can be baked, sauteed, grilled or roasted. Popular dished are Eggplant Parmesan, Baba Ganoush or Ratatouille. 

Okra:  Small finger shaped green vegetable.  Mildly flavored with a slimy texture when cut.  Delicious when young ones are eaten raw. Cooked they can be fried or added to soups and stews.  I enjoy slicing them and mixing them with egg and cornmeal. Then I fry them as patties. 

 Chili:

Jalapenos:     Spicy green chiles for adding flavor.

           Shishito:  Spicy or not it is just a guess. Eat them fresh or saute them in olive oil with salt.    

FRUIT:

PEACHES

Fairtime: Flavorful, sweet-tart, yellow freestone peach.  Used for fresh eating, baking, and canning. Best if eaten while firm.(Limited supply.)

Summerset:  Yellow freestone peach.  One  of the last varieties of the season.  Sweet and firm.  Used for fresh eating, baking  and preserving.(Limited supply.)

Late Alamar:  Yellow freestone peach.  Sweet-tart flavor and best if enjoyed while on the firm side. (Limited supply.)

 

PLUMS 

Casselman: Sweet yellow fleshed plum. It has a long shelf life and just gets sweeter and sweeter as it ages.  Not particularly juicy but so tasty and sturdy. Great for snacking and eating out of hand.  

FIGS 

Black Mission: Dark almost black skin.  Red to pink, moist flesh. Sweet nutty and fruity flavor with earthy undertones. (Limited supply.)

Panache:   I call this fig Panache or Tiger Stripe because that is what the nursery sold us many years ago.   It does not exactly fit the descriptions I see online.  Nonetheless, it is a wonderful and popular fig.  Dark green skin with faint striping. Deep pink, moist flesh that is sweet, fruity and honey like.  (Limited supply.)

Brown Turkey:   The skin is greenish yellow to brown.  The pink to light tan flesh has a mild nutty sweet taste with earthy undertones.  Great for fresh eating, drying, adding to salad, or paired with cheese. (Limited supply.)

PEARS: 

Bartlett:  Popular European pear. Yellow skin over off white flesh.  Firm when eaten on the green side, soft, sweet and juicy when skin turns yellow. (Very limited production this year.) 

D'anjou:  European green pear. This pear is usually enjoyed while on the green side  while crisp.  It is sweet and tasty.  Often eaten out of hand, added to salads or  baked.

 Asian Pears: 

 Yoi is brown skinned with off white  flesh.  It is very sweet and crisp with caramel flavor. They can be eaten out  of hand or added to salads.

20th Century (Nijisseki): Mildly sweet yellow Asian pear.    It has a smooth round shape with fine texture. Known for its thirst quenching quality providing juice when eaten.

Hosui:   Large brown skinned Asian pear.  Sweet-tart flavor and crunchy texture make it so desirable.  (Limited supply.)

Yali:  Beautiful pear-shaped yellow Asian pear. These pears are sweet, juicy and have tender flesh. 

 

APPLES: 

Red Delicious:  At Otow Orchard this variety is usually a striped red apple. Nonetheless, it is crisp, juicy, sweet, and refreshing.  Has a welcome fresh off the tree taste. (Limited supply.)  

JUJUBE:  These little fruit are often called red dates or Chinese dates.  Some people prefer to eat them when they are crisp and yellower. Others wait for more brown or all brown skin to appear.  They start out crisp and begin to get sweeter and sweeter.  They are also enjoyed soft, chewy, and wrinkly. When very dry they are often added to soup for add sweetness and flavor. Fresh jujube have the texture of a sweet dry apple.  These are often eaten as an easy snack but watch out for the seed.

 GRAPES:

Thompson Seedless:  Small yellow seedless grapes. Known for being tender with sweet mild flavor.  
 

Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They are hand massaged while they dry 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.  We are currently selling hoshigaki at the farm stand. For on farm orders of more than 1 pound it is best to email or call us to make a pre order.  

Hoshigaki strips:  Thin slices of hoshigaki for snacking.

Persimmon Pulp: Frozen pulp is available for baking or adding to oatmeal, smoothies, desserts or cereal. Some of our customers look forward to eating it like a popsicle!

 

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.   

Here is what we have from other producers: 

Eggs:  La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis. Fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens. (Limited supply.)

Red cherry tomatoes:  Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  Grown by organic practices. 

 Butternut squash:  Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  Grown by organic practices. Sweet, nutty orange fleshed winter squash.    

Roast, bake or mash and add to soup or casseroles.