FAY ELBERTA PEACHES

 Fay Elberta peaches are ready.  These peaches are the favorite of many peach lovers because they are sweet and juicy with a smooth texture. Often used for jams, canning, freezing, baking and fresh eating.  Some say this peach was discovered around 1915 in Placer County.

We continue to have other white and yellow peaches (see list below).  For those looking for cling peaches we now have Bowen Cling peaches.   The two basic types of peaches are freestones and clings. Most familiar is the freestone peach so called because the flesh does not cling to the pit or the stone of the peach.  We love how the peach easily comes apart when cut along its seam.  Freestones are generally sweet, soft and juicy. The other type of peach is called cling because the flesh sticks to the pit.  Clings are usually more firm and not as juicy while still sweet.  Because the flesh clings to the pit it is necessary to carve the flesh off the pit or just eat it out of hand.  Clings remain more firm when cooked or added to salads.

So many plum and pluot varieties to choose from.  People are discovering Mariposa plums.  Beautiful, sweet and juicy.  Flesh is red, white and pink. We also have Friar, Kelsey, Elephant Heart, and Laroda.  In the pluot department we have Dapple Dandy and Flavorqueen.

The jujube are just starting. We get a few each day.

Also coming into the farm stand is the second crop of figs.  We have Black Mission, Panache, and Brown Turkey figs.

Please note:  The farm stand will have modified hours so Tosh and I can get away for a week.  Thurs Sept 26:  10 am to 2 pm

                                           Friday Sept 27:  10 am to 2 pm

                                           Sat Sept 28:  10 am to 2 pm

                                           Sun Sept 29:   11am to 4 pm

                                           Mon Sept 30:  Closed

                                           Tues Oct 1:    10 am to 2 pm

                                            Wed Oct 2:  Resume regular hours

REGULAR HOURS

Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

            Sunday: 11:00 to 5:00

Closed on Mondays

 

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

Plums: 

Laroda:  Dark skin with yellow flesh.  Sweet and juicy with mild tartness.  Good flavor.

Elephant Heart:  Mottled skin with red flesh. Juicy and sweet.

Mariposa:  Mottled skin with red and white flesh.  Juicy and sweet. Tip tends to get very juicy before rest of the plum gets soft.  Great flavor and texture.

Kelsey:  Some like it hard and some like it with a little give.  This is a green skinned plum with yellow flesh.  It is surprisingly sweet.

Friar:  This is a dark skinned, yellow fleshed, freestone plum. Sweet with mild tartness. 

Late Santa Rosa:  LSR. Yellow flesh, sweet/tart, crisp plum variety. Santa Rosa in name only so I call it LSR. Enjoyable.

Pluots:

        Dapple Dandy: Cross between a plum and an apricot. This red and white fleshed freestone pluot is sweet with a background flavor of plum and apricot.

          Flavorqueen:  Cross between a plum and an apricot.  This pluot starts out greenish yellow.  As it ripens to all yellow this pluot reminds me of nectar.  It is so sweet.

 Peaches:

     Fay Elberta:  Yellow freestone peach.  Known for its smooth texture, juiciness and sweet flavor.  Very popular with many long time peach fans.  Origins are from Placer County.  Great for fresh eating and slicing. Often used for jam, baking, canning or freezing.

     Rio Oso Gem: This peach is also local.  It has its origins in Rio Oso, California.  It is a sweet, yellow, freestone peach with rich flavor when ripe. It is a challenge for us to grow since the pit often breaks apart and distorts the peach appearance. Firm or soft it is a good tasting peach.

     Bowen:   Not a freestone.  This is a cling peach.  The flesh is firm and sticks to the pit.  Eat out of hand or carve the flesh off the pit.  When cooked or added to salads it will retain its firmness. Sweet and less juicy than freestone peaches.

      O'Henry:  Great dark orange freestone peach. Sweet and juicy with intense flavor.  Very popular peach and a sure sign that the late peach season has arrived.

     Opale:  Sweet, juicy, white, freestone peach.  Wonderful flavor and fragrance.

Figs:  Black Mission: Sweet, with firm, dark skin.

          Brown Turkey:  Juicy and sweet with green and brown skin. Flavor has melon undertones.

          Panache: Also called Tiger Stripe.  Skin is dull green with some striping.  Reddish flesh is juicy and sweet with a berry background.

Grapes: 

        Kyoho grapes are dark skinned, seeded grapes with intense flavor.

        Thompson Seedless :  Small, yellow, seedless grapes.  Crisp and very sweet.

Jujube:  Also called Chinese dates and natsume.  They are a small, oval shaped drupe with a date like seed. Enjoyed when crisp green to brown and even wrinkled and chewy. They are sweet with apple-like texture but not as juicy as apples.

Apples:  There are a few Gala apples appearing on our table. Sweet apples with a crunch. Attractive yellow red skin.

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 strive to make the best hoshigaki without any shortcuts.  This takes time and attention during the drying season. 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.  Mail orders may restart when the weather cools.

Persimmon:  Frozen Hachiya persimmon pulp.

Summer Squash:  Green and yellow zucchini. Very fresh and easy to cook. (limited supply)

Japanese cucumbers:  Seedless and tender. So crisp and refreshing as  a snack on a warm summer day.We love the flavor of these cucumbers and are always sad when they are gone.  

Tomatoes:  Red, yellow, golden and striped. (limited supply)

Sungold cherry tomatoes:  Sweet orange cherry tomatoes.  Fruity flavor. The most popular cherry tomato at our farm for years.  (limited supply)

Chili peppers: Aji Amarillos, Jalapeno, Buena Mulata

Japanese eggplant:  Limited Supply

Okra:  Okra loves the heat of the summer. Green tender pods.

Basil:  Fresh from our garden.

Long beans: Tender green beans that happen to be 6" to 15" long. Cut to your desired length.  Uses as any other green bean.

Red or Green Shiso leaves:  Beefsteak herb. Japaneses aromatic herb used in salads, soups and on noodles. Can be paired with sashimi. Red shiso is used in preparing umeboshi.

Local 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. (limited supply)

Here is what we have from other producers:

Mihara Farm in Newcastle, conventional practices:

     Kiwi:  Fuzzy green and sweet/tart.

Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay, conventional practices:

      Elberta peaches:  Yellow freestone peaches.  Sweet and juicy.

Lupi Farm in Granite Bay. No spray practices.

         Black Mission Figs: Sweet and flavorful.

WoodRose Country Garden in Granite Bay, organic practices:

        White Onions and Garlic

        Arugula:  Fresh greens with distinctive peppery flavor.  Add to your salad, sandwich, pesto and pizza or cook in stir fry or soups.

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay, organic practices: 

       Red cherry tomatoes, and Roma tomatoes. (Limited Supply).

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