TIME FOR CITRUS

         Sweet tang.  Some of us crave it along with the intense flavors offered by the many varieties of citrus.  Citrus fruit are not just for fresh eating.  They are so important in flavoring our meals, and for making juices.  Let's not forget that citrus fruit can supply much needed Vitamin C for our wintertime health.  We will continue to have a variety of citrus fruit available for a couple of weeks.  When the oranges and mandarins are gone we should still have grapefruit and lemons.

         In addition to citrus fruit we are also harvesting Kiwi fruit.  There is also a good supply of hoshigaki.

        We have a supply of bare root fruit trees to put in the ground.  We will be planting plums, pluots, cherries, Asian pears and both yellow and white peaches.  These trees are available for some back yards.

        This is the quiet time of year for the orchard.  Only the citrus trees have fruit and leaves. The other trees are resting.  Soon the plums and pluots will start to bloom.  There will be patches of white blossoms in the orchard to mark their spots.  By mid March we should see the pink blossoms of peaches and nectarines.  If you plan to walk the orchard during bloom time, it is best to call first to find out what is blooming. This year seems different than previous years.

 

        On March 5th we will be starting our modified hours.  It will be our regular hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Our Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday hours will change to just 11:30 to 1:30.  And of course, Closed on Mondays as usual. We anticipate these hours for March, April and May.  If you need other times to visit, we will try to accommodate you.  We are often at the farm somewhere but not necessarily in the farm stand. You may call ahead at  (916) 300-0720. You will have to leave a message or text.

HOURS:

Tues through Sat  10:00 am to 6 pm 

Sunday  11:00 am to 5:00 pm

CLOSED ON MONDAYS 

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

Hoshigaki:  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried 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 began peeling persimmons in October.  We peeled the last persimmons at the beginning of December. The hoshigaki is available in the farm stand. You may drop in for on farm pick up.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  For mail orders please use our mail order form  for the 2023 season.

Yellow Grapefruit:  Sweet tart and a bit bitter. Very tasty.

Navel Oranges:  Sweet and Juicy.

Blood Oranges:  Sweet and juicy with dramatic red flesh. Good for fresh eating, juice, marmalade, or adding to salads or drinks.

Satsuma Mandarins:  Sweet, juicy, and easy to peel.  Very popular this time of year. Great flavor and an easy healthy snack. Can be added to desserts, salads, and drinks. Zest can be used to flavor sauces and marinades.

Clementine Mandarins:  Sweet and juicy. Easy to peel with delicate membrane.  They are more mild than oranges and make an easy healthy snack.  Can be added to salads and desserts.

Persimmons:

    Hachya : Frozen persimmon pulp.

Kiwi:  Fuzzy brown skin over  green flesh speckled with black seeds.

Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.

English Walnuts:  Shelled for you.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Kijani Farm
in Granite Bay, organic practices:

     Kabocha, Japanese winter squash (pumpkin).

Lupi Farm  in Granite Bay, no spray:  Meyer Lemons:  Tasty and flavorful lemons, low in acid.

Pleasant Hill Farm in Newcastle, no spray:

Navel oranges:  Sweet and juicy with great flavor. 

Cara Cara oranges:  These pink fleshed oranges are sweet and juicy with great flavor.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

Preparing vegetable garden.