Monday, November 28, 2011

Busy with Hoshigaki

This past week the hoshigaki drying process slowed a bit because of a few days of rain and a string of foggy mornings.  As a result, the persimmons have filled up the drying rooms and we even ran out of sticks to hang the freshly peeled ones on.  Tosh has been making new drying racks and sticks to try to accomodate all the kaki. We converted the cool room that we use when it's  warmer for refrigeration into a drying room, so now we have all the possible inside rooms being used for drying.

The freshly peeled persimmons are first hung on sticks on the outside racks until they're  dry enough to massage.  Then the sticks are usually moved into the hot house, which is a small building used like a green house where we can open the doors and windows and and adjust the temperature and air circulation.  As the sticks of hoshigaki get dryer they're moved through two other drying rooms, then to the final drying and packing room.  In each room the hoshigaki are  massaged to help them dry evenly and remain soft. In the photo at the left you can see freshly peeled persimmons hung on sticks on the outside racks, the hot house is on the right.

Tosh making a new rack
We're still peeling persimmons to start new hoshigaki because the persimmons are still hard enough to peel.  Soon 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 out fruit stand, it's a good idea to call ahead

When we need to stop taking orders we'll post it here on our web site. 


Monday, November 21, 2011

Fuyus & Hoshigaki


We've been very busy with persimmons lately.  We have boxes and boxes of fuyus and hachiyas that we have to find space for, and now the outside rack and inside drying rooms are filled with sticks of hoshigaki in various stages.  We're still peeling new hachiya and gyombo persimmons to dry, since there are some still hard enough to peel and the weather is still holding up for drying.   The trees are colorful with red, orange and yellow leaves, and it's a good time to visit and take a walk if you can.  It's probably the peak of fuyu persimmon season right now.  We have firm fuyus for sale by the bag at the fruit stand.  We're still taking mail orders for hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) and accepting orders by phone for pick up at the fruit stand.  If you'd like to buy more than a pound of hoshigaki it's a good idea to call ahead. 
 
Here's what's at the fruit stand now:

  • Persimmons--Fuyu, Maru, vodka-treated Hyakume, Hachiya, Hoshigaki
  • Apples--Fuji, Pippen, Golden Delicious
  • Asian Pear--Okusankichi
  • Pomegranate--white and red varieties
  • Winter Squash--buttercup, kabocha, red kuri, spaghetti squash, pie pumpkin
  • Pumpkins & Gourds  
  • Vegetables--green tomatoes, herbs
  • Local Honey--from bees at our orchard & star thistle honey from Lincoln
  • Eggs
  • Perfectly Persimmon Cookbook--1004 persimmon recipes by Jean Brine
  • Placer County Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenny
  • 2012 Master Gardeners Calender

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Vodka Persimmons


We now have finished hyakume vodka-treated persimmons at the fruit stand.  These persimmons are large, yellow-orange and sweet with a mango-like texture.  Each hyakume persimmon has been treated with a few drops of vodka to cause a chemical reaction in the persimmon that changes the astringency (tannic acid) to sweetness (fructose).  Hyakume persimmons are a "pollination-variant non-astringent" type of persimmon that are naturally sweet when pollinated, though not all of the fruits get pollinated.  For more details on this, see the post "How to Eat a Persimmon".

If you'd like to order hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon), it's important to get your order in as soon as possible.  It looks like this year's supply will be smaller than last year's,  so at some point we'll have to stop taking new orders.  If you want to order hoshigaki through mail order, please mail in the order form soon.  If you'd like to order hoshigaki to pick up at the fruit stand, please call us as soon as you can.  

The Sierra Foothills Meat Buyers club will make a delivery at our orchard on Friday, Nov. 18th.  Through the Meat Buyers club you can order local and naturally produced beef, pork, lamb, chicken, eggs and honey online, then pick up your order at our orchard, at Community Ink in Truckee, or at Confluence Kitchen in Auburn.  Orders need to be received by Friday, Nov. 11th at 5:00 PM. 

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

  • Persimmons--Fuyu, Maru, Hyakume, Hachiya
  • Apples--Fuji, Mutsu, Golden Delicious
  • Asian Pear--Okusankichi
  • Pomegranate--white variety
  • Winter Squash--butternut, kabocha (various types), red kuri, buttercup, spaghetti squash, pie pumpkin
  • Pumpkins & Gourds (at the fruit stand and at the pumpkin patch)  
  • Vegetables--tomatoes, peppers, oregano, mint
  • Local Honey--from bees at our orchard & star thistle honey from Lincoln
  • Eggs
  • Placer County Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenny
  • 2012 Master Gardeners Calender

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