DRY PERSIMMON TIME

     It is time to bring out the racks, get out the knife, peeler, and box of disposable gloves, line the bucket, and sort hachiya persimmons. Yep, it is the beginning of hoshigaki (dried persimmon) season. Last week we started peeling and hanging up hachiya persimmons for this year's crop of hoshigaki. We are doing this cautiously as the weather is still warm.  Very soon we will be busy squeezing and massaging those that are getting soft to break up the pulp inside the persimmon that is ripening. We will continue to "baby sit" them for another 4 weeks till the sugar magically appears on the surface.
       We are now taking orders for this season's hoshigaki. The crop is light and the work force is getting tired so the production may be smaller than usual.  For these reasons we will be limiting people to a maximum 5 pound order. We are urging people to get their orders in soon since late orders may not be filled if we run out of product.
       If you are picking up your order at the farm please call (916) 791-1656 or email: otoworchard@yahoo.com to reserve hoshigaki.
       If you are making a hoshigaki order by mail please use our mail order form.

       We are beginning to see a variety of persimmons in the farm stand.  Coffee Cake looks like a flat Fuyu but is brown fleshed and sweet when properly pollinated.  Maru is a small round brown fleshed persimmon which is very sweet when properly pollinated.  Nagamaru, also called Chocolate and Tsurunoko, is like a tall Maru. It is also brown fleshed and sweet when properly pollinated.
      We have Hachiya and Gyombo persimmons which are not sweet until very soft. We have a good supply of the very popular Fuyu type persimmon which is eaten hard like an apple.

      There is a beautiful collection of winter squash:  Butternut, Red Kuri, Kabocha, and Black Futsu. These make delicious side dishes for your fall meal.

      Now that that summer vegetables are waning, winter vegetables are making a debut with the help of BarleyOats Farm.  BarleyOats  is located behind our old packing shed and uses organic practices to grow vegetables.  You can order online at barleyoats.farm or just come by our farm stand to see what is available. 

Official Statement: We have NO pick-your-own activities.

 May to February Hours:

Tu to Sat:   10 am to 6 pm

             Sun:       11 am to 5 pm

    Closed on Mondays

Here's what we have in the farm stand from Otow Orchard:
Asian pears: Shinko, and Olympic
European Pears:  Comice, D'anjou
Apple:  Reinette Simerenko (Russian green apple), Fuji
Persimmons: Limited supply of brown fleshed persimmons:
                               Coffee Cake Persimmon (Nishimura Wase)
                               Maru
                               Chocolate (Tsurunoko) (Nagamaru)
Fuyu persimmons (Always sweet, eat like an apple)
Hachiya persimmons (These must be soft in order to be sweet.)
Quince: Ancient fruit, high in pectin
Herbs:  basil, rosemary, lemon balm
Calendula Salve
Honey from Otow Orchard
Vegetables:  okra,  Japanese eggplant, sweet peppers, hot peppers, Tomatoes,
         and Tomatillos
Winter squash:  Red Kuri, Butternut, Black Futsu, and Kabocha.

This is what we have from other producers:
Apples from Sunnyslope Farm:  Fuji
European pears:  Bosc
Chestnuts from Sunnyslope Farm
Jams from The Good Stuff
Onions from BarleyOats Farm
Winter vegetables from BarlyOats Farm
Honey with honey comb from Top O' The Hill Apiary
Comb honey from Top O'The Hill Apiary
Bee pollen from Top O' The Hill Apiary
2019 Master Gardener Calendar