HOSHIGAKI ORDER TIME

 

Hoshigaki, Japanese hand dried persimmons, are now being processed.  The 2026 season has begun.  People have been visiting the farm to see the wall of persimmons hanging in the sun.  In rooms they can see hoshigaki starting to show a light dusting of white sugar on their surfaces.  We have a  limited supply of 2025 season hoshigaki left to sell. I am hoping the early season hoshigaki will be ready to sell as we run out of last season's supply.  Our sweetest, and most moist hoshigaki often don't show up till December.  For on-farm pick up orders, please get on our list.  For mail orders,  please use our mail order form.

         Fresh persimmons are definitely still in season.  We have Fuyu, the apple type, Hachiya and Gyombo the soft type, Vodka treated, and a couple chocolate, brown fleshed, varieties available. 

        Other fruit available are pomegranates, Asian pears, and a limited supply of apples.  

        Cool season vegetables are starting to show up.  We have a delicious lettuce mix, arugula, and komatsuna (Japanese spinach). 

 

 

      Hours

Tues through Sat  10:00 to 6:00

Sunday            11:00 to 5:00  

Closed on Monday

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

VEGETABLES:

Winter Squash:  

Delicata is a cylindrical winter squash. It's ribs are yellow, green and/or orange.  Skin is thin and edible.  Flesh is sweet.  Can be steamed, baked, roasted, or added to soups.

 

 

Kabocha:  These are Japanese sweet pumpkins.  Their orange flesh is thick, and dense. The skin is edible for added texture. Can be roasted, steamed, fried, or baked.   Sometimes added to stir fries, tempera, soup or stew. 

Butternut: Orange fleshed winter squash with sweet, nutty  texture.  Seed are located in the bulbous end, the neck is all flesh.  Roast, bake, steam or mash and add to soup or casseroles.

  

Tomatoes: Small red slicers and salad tomatoes.  These fresh, sweet tomatoes are great for salads, sandwiches, and pizza.  The smaller ones and blemished ones I use in stew and soup.  Sometimes I just bite and add salt. (Limited supply.)

 

Sakura Cherry Tomatoes:  Large, sweet, red cherry tomatoes.(Limited supply.)

Sungold Cherry Tomatoes:  Bright yellow orange cherry tomatoes known for their bright fruity flavor. A summertime favorite on our farm. (Limited supply.)

Basil:  Fragrant and flavorful.  Can be used in salads, sauces and pesto. 

Eggplant: The oval shaped eggplants are Italian varieties.  The long skinny ones are the Asian varieties. The shiny skin is deep purple, purple or purple striped. Flesh is creamy white and tender usually with tiny edible seeds. When cooked the flesh is rich, meaty and takes on cooking flavor. Eggplant are versatile and can be baked, sauteed, grilled or roasted. Popular dished are Eggplant Parmesan, Baba Ganoush or Ratatouille. 

 Chili:

Jalapenos:     Spicy green chiles for adding flavor.

Habaneros:    Spicy green or yellow chiles. 

           Shishito:  Spicy or not it is just a guess. Eat them fresh or saute them in olive oil with salt.  (Limited supply.) 

 

 

 

Arugula:  The first of our winter vegetable crop.  Fresh, flavorful and  peppery. Tasty addition to salad, sautes, pizza, sandwiches, and smoothies.

Komatsuna:  What is this?  I call it Japanese spinach.  Delicious, tender and mild.  Can be sauted, added to soup or salad. Used like spinach or bok choy.

Lettuce Mix:  A tender, tasty and delightful mix of green leaf, red leaf and romaine lettuce.  Sells out quickly.

FRUIT:

 

PEARS: 

 Asian Pears: 

Shinko:   Large brown-skinned Asian pear.  Sweet flavor, juicy  and crunchy texture make it our most popular pear.

Olympic:  Very round, brown-skinned Asian pear.  It is crisp, juicy, sweet, and has a nice crunch.

 

APPLES: 

Granny Smith:  This popular light green apple is a favorite for cooking and baking because it holds it's shape and resists browning.  Although known for their tartness our Granny Smith are low acid and enjoyed fresh.  Limited supply.

 PERSIMMONS:

Maru, Nagamaru:  These persimmons  are brown fleshed when pollinated.  They are sweet and can be eaten hard  or softer.  For the novice, our recommendation is to cut the persimmon to see the sweet brown flesh before biting into the fruit.  Usually less than half of the persimmon is yellow fleshed and not edible.  Nagamaru is also known as Tsurunoko or Chocolate. These are chocolate persimmons because of the color, not because of the flavor!

 

Clockwise in the photo: Hyakume (cinnamon), Nagamaru (Tsurunoko, or Chocolate), Coffee Cake (Nishimura Wase), Maru.  Sliced Maru with brown sweet flesh and a bit of yellow puckery flesh.  Sliced yellow-fleshed Fuyu. Fuyu, Hachiya, almost soft Hachiya.

 

Vodka (Hyakume): Our Vodka persimmons are Hyakume persimmons that have been treated with vodka to make them sweet. Since Hyakume persimmons are pollination dependent they may or may not be naturally sweet.  To assure customers that they are getting a sweet persimmon, vodka is used to encase the tannins so we cannot taste them. Vodka persimmons are sweet and may be brown or yellow fleshed.  They may be enjoyed firm or soft.

Hachiya:  These are tall, deep orange, acorn-shaped persimmons that cannot be eaten till soft as pudding in a bag.  They become soft, sweet and juicy with time. It was suggested that you bite a little hole in the skin and suck out the contents for a sweet treat.  Watch out for the seeds.

Gyombo:  These are tall, orange, acorn-shaped persimmons that cannot be eaten till soft as pudding in a bag. Gyombo become sweet and juicy as they ripen.

Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They are hand massaged while they dry 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.  We are currently selling 2025 hoshigaki at the farm stand. For on farm orders of more than 1 pound it is best to email or call to make a pre order.  The mail order form for 2026 is now available.  Please read and use our mail order form if you are requesting a mail order shipment.  Click here for the mail order form.

POMEGRANATES: 

White Pomegranates :  It probably has a proper name, but the name has been lost since it was planted over a century ago.  We love this yellow-skinned variety because it is all sweet and the arils have a small edible core.

 

Wonderful:  These are the red, often large pomegranates that are so popular.  Dark red arils and sweet tart juice. 

QUINCE:        

 Ancient fruit in the pear apple family.  It has a lot of pectin often used to thicken or gel sauces.  It is firm, fragrant and tart.  Usually cooked with a sweetener.  Traditionally used for jelly, paste and candy (Dulce de Membrillo).  I usually make quince sauce or add it to applesauce. Quince is often paired with pork dishes.

 

Local Honey  Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard is also available.

 

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

Here is what we have from other producers: 

Eggs:  La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis. Fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens. (Limited supply.)