THE SEASON FOR FIGS

 For the moment, Figs are coming into the farm stand.  The season may not last long so now is the time to try the varieties we  grow.  The most common fig is the Black Mission. There is also a limited supply of Brown Turkey and Panache figs.  When selecting a fig, look for the ones that have started to split and have some give to them.

It may seem early for apples but they are starting to mature.  Our first fall apple is Gala.  An attractive red blushed apple  with pale yellow background. Later we will have Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Reinette Simerenko, Fuji, and Arkansas Black.

And if you love peaches,  we are not done yet.  We are currently selling Rio Oso Gem, Summerset yellow peaches. Soon we will begin to harvest Late Alamar and Fairtime.  There are also some Yellow cling peaches available.

Tomatoes are making a name for themselves.  They are big and red and beautiful.   So Juicy and sweet.  Just right for that summer sandwich or refreshing salad.

 

      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.

 

Sakura Cherry Tomatoes:  Large, sweet, red cherry tomatoes.

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

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.

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.

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

Potatoes:  Youkon Gold potatoes.  Moist and flavorful potatoes with slightly yellow flesh.  These potatoes have thin smooth skin.  Great for roasting, boiling and frying.

Eggplant:  Asian and Italian eggplants.

 

Okra:  Small quantities of okra are available.

 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

Rio Oso Gem:  Flavorful, sweet, yellow freestone peach.  Used for fresh eating, baking, and canning. (Limited supply.)

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

        Bowen Cling Peach:  This is not a freestone peach.  It is a cling peach.  The flesh  clings to the pit. Bowen peaches are firm and sweet. Juicy, but not as juicy as a freestone peach. They are delicious eaten out of hand. These are sturdy peaches often used  in processing: canning, and baking.  Since the canneries closed down last year, many orchards of cling peaches were taken out.   

PLUMS 

 

Kelsey:  Yellow-fleshed, green-skinned plum.   It has well balanced sweet/tart flavor.  It is juicy. Can be eaten fresh or used for canning or dehydrating.

Friar:  Dark-skinned, yellow fleshed sweet plum with great fragrance and flavor. Small semi-freestone pit.

Elephant Heart:  Large, red-fleshed plum.  Heart shaped with mottled skin.  Sweet and juicy with good flavor.  Used for fresh eating, baking and jams.

Casselman: Sweet yellow fleshed plum. It has along 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.

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.  

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.

PEARS:    

 Asian Pears: Yoi and Kosui:  Yoi is brown skinned with off white  flesh.  It is very sweet and crisp with caramel flavor. Kosui is a yellow skinned Asian Pear with white flesh. It is sweet, juicy and crisp.

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

APPLES: 

Gala:  Small crisp apple with yellow skin and a red blush.  It has a mild, sweet, pleasing flavor and texture.  (Limited supply.) 

 

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. 

Figs: Lupi Farm in Granite Bay.  

Black Mission figs:  Dark skin with sweet pink flesh.

Bartlet Pears:  Sweet, juicy European pears. Can be enjoyed green and crisp or tender, juicy and soft.  Let this pear ripen to your desired texture. 

TOMATO SEASON

 The long awaited tomato season is here.  We have big red slicers, yellow heirlooms and yellow and red cherry tomatoes.  Time for a summer salad or a big juicy sandwich.

Peaches are going strong with both yellow and white freestone peaches.  Time for peach pie, and peach cobbler, or my favorite peach crisp. Many of the current varieties are also used for freezing, canning and jams.  We are also harvesting cling peaches.These would give a sturdy peach to any processed or baked peach.  We enjoy these fresh when looking for something to get your teeth into.

 

Okra blossom

      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.

 

Sakura Cherry Tomatoes:  Large, sweet, red cherry tomatoes.

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

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.

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.

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

Potatoes:  Youkon Gold potatoes.  Moist and flavorful potatoes with slightly yellow flesh.  These potatoes have thin smooth skin.  Great for roasting, boiling and frying.

Chard:  These greens are tender and tasty. Great for sauteing or adding to soup, casseroles, omelets, and stews.

Eggplant:  Both Asian and Italian eggplants will soon be available.

 

Okra:  Small quantities of okra are available.

 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

 49er:  Yellow freestone peach with smooth texture. Sweet and juicy. Used for fresh eating, baking, and canning.

Fay Elberta:   Yellow freestone peach with smooth texture. Sweet and juicy. Known for its "melt in your mouth texture". Used for fresh eating, baking, and canning.

Rio Oso Gem:  Flavorful, sweet, yellow freestone peach.  Used for fresh eating, baking, and canning.

White Peaches:  

        Opale:  Firm white, freestone peaches.  They are low acid, sweet and tasty. Enjoyed when firm and crisp or soft and juicy.

        Paradise:  Soft fleshed, white, freestone peaches. They are juicy, sweet, low acid and high in flavor.

        Bowen Cling Peach:  This is not a freestone peach.  It is a cling peach.  The flesh  clings to the pit. Bowen peaches are firm and sweet. Juicy but not as juicy as a freestone peach. They are delicious eaten out of hand. These are sturdy peaches often used  in processing: canning, and baking.  Since the canneries closed down last year, many orchards of cling peaches were taken out.   

PLUMS

Eldorado:  Small dark-skinned plum. Sweet even when firm. Freestone. Used for fresh eating, baking and canning.  

Laroda:  Large flavorful dark-skinned plum. Sweet and juicy with a background of tang.  Great for fresh eating, preserving, and dehydrating.  

Kelsey:  Yellow-fleshed, green-skinned plum.   It has well balanced sweet/tart flavor.  It is juicy. Can be eaten fresh or used for canning or dehydrating.

Friar:  Dark-skinned, yellow fleshed sweet plum with great fragrance and flavor. Small semi-freestone pit.

Elephant Heart:  Large, red-fleshed plum.  Heart shaped with mottled skin.  Sweet and juicy with good flavor.  Used for fresh eating, baking and jams.

PLUOTS

Flavor Grenade:  Egg-shaped pluot with green-yellow skin with a reddish blush.  Enjoyed firm ripe with a crisp texture.  Outstanding sweet flavor.

 

Flavor Jewel:  Firm light yellow pluot with red highlighted skin and shiny yellow flesh.  Eaten crisp with very sweet taste.   

Flavor King: Dark skinned pluot with red flesh. Very sweet and flavoful. Hint of Santa Rosa flavor. (Limited supply.) 

 

 

 

 

BLACKBERRIES:  These thorny vines produce a sweet and tart mixed basket of wild berries.  Intense berry flavor with earthy sweetness. (Limited supply.)

 

NECTARNES

Fantasia:  Yellow skinned nectarine with red blush.  Yellow, sweet tart flesh.  Great flavor. 

 

Heavenly White:  White and red skin over white juicy flesh. Sweet-tart aromatic flavor.  Limited supply.) 

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.)

Onions:  La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis.  Red, Yellow, and White onions grown with organic practices. 

 Rio Red Grapefruit:  Stoney Point Farm

 in Loomis,(Organic certified). These large grapefruit are juicy, sweet and red fleshed. Low in bitterness.

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

Figs: Lupi Farm in Granite Bay.  Black Mission figs (Very limited supply.)
 

PEACHES, PLUMS, PLUOTS AND NECTARINES

It's a mystery.  I don't know why but we have decent looking nectarines this year.  Not a lot, but more than usual.  Flavortop and Fantasia are both yellow fleshed with great taste.  Heavenly White is a white fleshed nectarine with great flavor.  Hope you have an opportunity to get some before they are gone. 

We are harvesting mid season peaches at the beginning of July.  There is already color appearing on late season peaches.  I get the feeling that the peach season will likely end early.  Please make note.

During the 50's, 60's and 70's, our farm, along with many farms in Placer County, was busy growing plums as a summer crop.  Plums were harvested, sorted and packed into crates on our farm.  At the end of the day, the crates were delivered to a fruit shed in Loomis.  The fruit shed sold our plums to Colorado, Boston, Chicago, and New York markets. Today, the farm stand is filing up with many different varieties  of plums, some I don't have room to display.

Tomato season is just starting.  Cherry tomatoes are coming off the vines and we are getting a few slicers every day. There is a good supply of basil, cucumbers and squash.  Okra and eggplant are starting  to come in. The last harvest of potatoes will happen this week.

 

 

 

      Hours

Tuesday through Saturday           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:

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.

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.

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

Sakura Cherry Tomatoes:  Large, sweet, red cherry tomatoes
 

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

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

Potatoes:  Youkon Gold potatoes.  Moist and flavorful potatoes with slightly yellow flesh.  These potatoes have thin smooth skin.  Great for roasting, boiling and frying.

Chard:  These greens are tender and tasty. Great for sauteing or adding to soup, casseroles, omelets, and stews.

Eggplant:  Both Asian and Italian eggplants will soon be available.

 

Okra:  Small quantities of okra will soon be available. 

FRUIT:

PEACHES

Gene Elberta:  Yellow freestone peach. Sweet and very  juicy.  Great for fresh eating, baking, and canning.

Loring:  Yellow freestone peach. Sweet and juicy. Used for fresh eating, baking, and canning.

 49er:  Yellow freestone peach with smooth texture. Sweet and juicy. Used for fresh eating, baking, and canning.

Summerset:    Yellow freestone peach with smooth texture. Sweet and juicy. Used for fresh eating, baking, and canning.

Fay Elberta:   Yellow freestone peach with smooth texture. Sweet and juicy. Known for its "melt in your mouth texture". Used for fresh eating, baking, and canning.

White Peaches:  

        Opale:  Firm white, freestone peaches.  They are low acid, sweet and tasty. Enjoyed when firm and crisp or soft and juicy.

        Silver Logan:  Soft fleshed, white, freestone peaches. They are juicy, sweet, low acid and high in flavor.

        Bowen Cling Peach:  This is not a freestone peach.  It is a cling peach.  The flesh  clings to the pit. Bowen peaches are firm and sweet. Juicy but not as juicy as a freestone peach. They are delicious eaten out of hand. These are sturdy peaches often used  in processing: canning, and baking.  Since the canneries closed down last year, many orchards of cling peaches were taken out.   

PLUMS

Santa Rosa: Very popular and very tasty.  Known for their sweet tart taste and amazing flavor and fragrance.  Great for fresh eating as well as for jams.

Black Amber:  Dark skin over amber red meaty flesh.  Sweet tart flavor and fragrant. Key ingredient for Black Amber Plum pie.

Mariposa :  Red fleshed with mottled purple skin.  Sweet and juicy, and flavorful. Great for fresh eating, baking and preserving. Semi freestone.

Eldorado:  Small dark-skinned plum. Sweet even when firm. Freestone. Used for fresh eating, baking and canning.  

Laroda:  Large flavorful dark-skinned plum. Sweet and juicy with a background of tang.  Great for fresh eating, preserving, and dehydrating.  

Kelsey:  Yellow-fleshed, green-skinned plum.   It has well balanced sweet/tart flavor.  It is juicy. Can be eaten fresh or used for canning or dehydrating.

Friar:  Dark-skinned, yellow fleshed sweet plum with great fragrance and flavor. Small semi-freestone pit.

Elephant Heart:  Large, red-fleshed plum.  Heart shaped with mottled skin.  Sweet and juicy with good flavor.  Used for fresh eating, baking and jams.

PLUOTS

Dapple Dandy:  Sweet, firm pluot with good flavor.  Dappled purple and pink skin with pinkish flesh.

 

Flavor Grenade:  Egg-shaped pluot with green-yellow skin with a reddish blush.  Most enjoyed firm ripe with a crisp texture.  Outstanding sweet flavor.

 

Flavor Jewel:  Firm light yellow pluot with red highlighted skin and shiny yellow flesh.  Eaten crisp with very sweet taste.   

 

BLACKBERRIES:  These thorny vines produce a sweet and tart mixed basket of wild berries.  Intense berry flavor with earthy sweetness. 

 

NECTARNES

Flavortop:  Red and yellow skinned nectarine with intense sweet-tart yellow flesh.  Delicious.

 

Fantasia:  Yellow skinned nectarine with red blush.  Yellow, sweet tart flesh.  Great flavor. 

 

Heavenly White:  White and red skin over white juicy flesh. Sweet-tart aromatic 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!

 

Valencia:  These are juicing oranges but most people just peel and eat like any other orange. They are sweet and very juicy.

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: 

Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay, is again bringing us conventionally grown, beautiful peaches.

     Suncrest :  Yellow freestone peaches.  These are sweet, juicy and very flavorful peaches.  The book Epitaph for a Peach, by David Mas Masumoto was written about harvesting Suncrest peaches. (Limited supply.)

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

Onions:  La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis.  Red, Yellow, and White onions grown with organic practices. 

 Rio Red Grapefruit:  Stoney Point Farm in Loomis,(Organic certified). These large grapefruit are juicy, sweet and red fleshed. Low in bitterness.

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

 

Buttermilk Nectarine Upside down cake