We are starting the 2021 drying process for hoshigaki, hand dried persimmons. People are beginning to reserve hoshigaki. Mail order customers can go to our mail order form and follow directions. Customers wishing to pick up their orders at the farm should either email us at otoworchard@yahoo.com or give us a call at (916) 791-1656 during business hours.
The process begins with peeling the unripe persimmon then hanging it in the sun so it can dry on the outside and begin to ripen on the inside. After a few days they will be ripe enough for the first kneading. During the kneading we try to break up the pulp inside. For the next few weeks we will occasionally knead them to keep them soft. As the moisture evaporates the white sugars begin to appear on the surface. As they dry we have to monitor them more carefully so they don't get overly dry and hard. This seems to happen more often than I would like to admit.
Persimmons are just starting but there are so many other fruits available: apples, Asian pears, Bartlett pears, quince, jujube, plums, and white pomegranates. We are still getting some vegetables from our summer gardens.
Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard:
Cassselman: Yellow fleshed, sweet and flavorful.
Asian Pears: Yellow: Yali. Brown: Shinko.and Olympic. These pears are sweet, juicy, and crisp
European pear: 🍐Bartlett
Apples: 🍏Reinette Simerenko , 🍎 Fuji and Granny Smith
Jujube:
Li: Small brown or yellow fruit with apple like texture. They are
sweet and easy to eat. Some eat them hard and crisp others wait for them
to get shriveled and chewy.
Quince:
Yellow fruit in the pear/apple family. Seldom eaten raw. It can be
baked like apples or sauced like apples. High in pectin, they are often
used for jelly and Dulce de Membrillo (Quince candy). Naturally sour
but full of aroma and flavor, can be added to stews.
White Pomegranates: These light skinned pomegranates have sweet pink arils.
Persimmons: Early season persimmons are coming into the farm stand:
Hachiya: These persimmons must be very soft to be enjoyed. They are sweet and succulent. They can be eaten out of hand, added to cereal, yogurt, or smoothies. These are used in baking cookies, breads, and puddings.
Chocolate Persimmons: Maru, Nagamaru (tsurunoko, chocolate), and Coffee Cake. These brown fleshed persimmons are can be eaten hard or softening. If they are successfully pollinated in the spring they will get brown fleshed and sweet.
Fuyu: These popular yellow fleshed persimmons are always sweet. Normally enjoyed when they are hard and firm.
Hoshigaki: Tender and moist dried persimmons with naturally formed dusting of fruit sugars on the surface. These were hand massaged and dried slowly for 4 to 8 weeks.
Vegetables: Limited supply of: Summer squash, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, chilies, Asian eggplants, Italian eggplants, and tomatillos. Winter squash: Butternut, Red Kuri, Black Futsu and Kabocha.
Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard.
Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard
⚘ Calendula Salve and Lip Balm
Here is what we have from other producers:
WoodRose Country Garden in Granite Bay: Anaheim chiles,🌶 jalapenos, green beans, salad geens, eggplant, snow peas, bell peppers, white onions, basil, 🌿rosemary, oregano, and thyme.
Sunnyslope Farm: Fuji Apples 🍏 and Mutsu Apples (Crispin)
Top O' the Hill Apiary in Granite Bay: Honey. Top of the Hill Apiary also has Bees wax 🐝.
Two Feather Farm in Granite Bay: 🐔🥚 Eggs. Egg production is slowing down.
Jams 🍑 from the Good Stuff. We currently have Plum, Peach Cardamon, Chili Apricot, Pepper Pomegranate, and Quince Marmalade.
