CHOCOLATE PERSIMMONS

    Suddenly persimmon season is starting. For the past month as we finished our peach and plum harvest I watched the persimmons gradually fill in their orange color.  Some of the varieties are ready for harvest while most are just starting to make their way to maturity.  First to mature are the brown fleshed or chocolate persimmons.  Sorry too disappoint, chocolate refers to the color, not  the flavor.  When these persimmons are pollinated in the spring, seeds form in the fruit.  The seeds influence the flesh to turn brown and sweet.  The more seeds the sweeter the fruit.  Occasionally you will get a brown fleshed persimmon that has only a few or no seeds and therefore only partially sweet or all astringent. We hesitantly predict that the Fuyu harvest may start by mid October.  We may begin to harvest firm Hachiya for drying at the beginning of October but the soft,  ripe ones are unpredictable.

     Peach and Plum season has ended at Otow Orchard.  We have a quickly depleting supply in our cool room.  Sadly it was an early and quick season.  Who knows what next year will bring.  Hopefully the trees can figure out how to produce under unpredictable weather patterns.

    Tomatoes are hanging on but are getting smaller and have more irregularities.  For now, they have retained good flavor and texture. Eggplant seem to be just getting started.  We have beautiful globes of black and striped purple eggplant.  The cucumbers are getting a second wind of production as the temperatures have moderated.  The summer squash are looking pretty sad but there is a field of happy winter squash that we will start harvesting in a week or two.

 

      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:

Tomatoes:  Red slicers and salad tomatoes.  Striped German and Cherokee Purple heirloom 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. 

Zucchini:  Green and yellow summer squash fresh out of the garden.  Tender green squash with white flesh. Great for sauteing, boiling, steaming, baking, roasting and adding to soup, stew and stir fry.(Limited supply.)

Asian Cucumbers:  Burpless, seedless and thin skinned cucumbers.  Refreshing, crisp, and tender.  Eaten as a summer snack, or added into salad or pickled.  Great flavor.

Can cucumbers have fun?

 

Slicing Cucumbers: Fresh, green cucumbers to add to your summer salads. 

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. 

Okra:  Small finger shaped green vegetable.  Mildly flavored with a slimy texture when cut.  Delicious when young ones are eaten raw. Cooked they can be fried or added to soups and stews.  I enjoy slicing them and mixing them with egg and cornmeal. Then I fry them as patties. 

 Chili:

Jalapenos:     Spicy green chiles for adding flavor.

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

FRUIT:

 

PEARS: 

D'anjou:  European green pear. This pear is usually enjoyed while on the green side  while crisp.  It is sweet and tasty.  Often eaten out of hand, added to salads or  baked.

 Asian Pears: 

20th Century (Nijisseki): Mildly sweet yellow Asian pear.    It has a smooth round shape with fine texture. Known for its thirst quenching quality providing juice when eaten.

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

Yali:  Beautiful pear-shaped yellow Asian pear. These pears are sweet, juicy and have tender flesh. 

 

APPLES: 

Red Delicious:  At Otow Orchard this variety is usually a striped red apple. Nonetheless, it is crisp, juicy, sweet, and refreshing.  Has a welcome fresh-off-the-tree taste. (Limited supply.)  

JUJUBE:  These little fruit are often called red dates or Chinese dates.  Some people prefer to eat them when they are crisp and yellower. Others wait for more brown or all brown skin to appear.  They start out crisp and begin to get sweeter and sweeter.  They are also enjoyed soft, chewy, and wrinkly. When very dry they are often added to soup for add sweetness and flavor. Fresh jujube have the texture of a sweet dry apple.  These are often eaten as an easy snack but watch out for the seed.  We are currently harvesting two varieties:  Li and GA 866.

 

 GRAPES:

Thompson Seedless:  Small yellow seedless grapes. Known for being tender with sweet mild flavor.                        

Kyoho:  Large dark skinned sweet grapes. These grapes have both seeds and flavor.
 

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 hoshigaki at the farm stand. For on farm orders of more than 1 pound it is best to email or call us to make a pre order.  

Hoshigaki strips:  Thin slices of hoshigaki for snacking.

Persimmon Pulp: Frozen pulp is available for baking or adding to oatmeal, smoothies, desserts or cereal. Some of our customers look forward to eating it like a popsicle!

 

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.)

Red cherry tomatoes:  Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  Grown by organic practices. 

 Butternut squash:  Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  Grown by organic practices. Sweet, nutty orange fleshed winter squash.    

Roast, bake or mash and add to soup or casseroles.

 

THE SEASON FOR FIGS

 For the moment, Figs are coming into the farm stand.  The season may not last long so now is the time to try the varieties we  grow.  The most common fig is the Black Mission. There is also a limited supply of Brown Turkey and Panache figs.  When selecting a fig, look for the ones that have started to split and have some give to them.

It may seem early for apples but they are starting to mature.  Our first fall apple is Gala.  An attractive red blushed apple  with pale yellow background. Later we will have Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Reinette Simerenko, Fuji, and Arkansas Black.

And if you love peaches,  we are not done yet.  We are currently selling Rio Oso Gem, Summerset yellow peaches. Soon we will begin to harvest Late Alamar and Fairtime.  There are also some Yellow cling peaches available.

Tomatoes are making a name for themselves.  They are big and red and beautiful.   So Juicy and sweet.  Just right for that summer sandwich or refreshing salad.

 

      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:

Tomatoes:  Red slicers and salad tomatoes.  Striped German and Cherokee Purple heirloom 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.

 

Sakura Cherry Tomatoes:  Large, sweet, red cherry tomatoes.

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

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

Zucchini:  Green and yellow summer squash fresh out of the garden.  Tender green squash with white flesh. Great for sauteing, boiling, steaming, baking, roasting and adding to soup, stew and stir fry.

Asian Cucumbers:  Burpless, seedless and thin skinned cucumbers.  Refreshing, crisp, and tender.  Eaten as a summer snack, or added into salad or pickled.  Great flavor.

Slicing Cucumbers: Fresh, green cucumbers to add to your summer salads. 

Potatoes:  Youkon Gold potatoes.  Moist and flavorful potatoes with slightly yellow flesh.  These potatoes have thin smooth skin.  Great for roasting, boiling and frying.

Eggplant:  Asian and Italian eggplants.

 

Okra:  Small quantities of okra are available.

 Chili:  Jalapenos: spicy green chiles for adding flavor.           Shishito:  Spicy or not it is just a guess. Eat them fresh or saute them in olive oil with salt.    

FRUIT:

PEACHES

Rio Oso Gem:  Flavorful, sweet, yellow freestone peach.  Used for fresh eating, baking, and canning. (Limited supply.)

Summerset:  Yellow freestone peach.  One  of the last varieties of the season.  Sweet and firm.  Used for fresh eating, baking  and preserving.

        Bowen Cling Peach:  This is not a freestone peach.  It is a cling peach.  The flesh  clings to the pit. Bowen peaches are firm and sweet. Juicy, but not as juicy as a freestone peach. They are delicious eaten out of hand. These are sturdy peaches often used  in processing: canning, and baking.  Since the canneries closed down last year, many orchards of cling peaches were taken out.   

PLUMS 

 

Kelsey:  Yellow-fleshed, green-skinned plum.   It has well balanced sweet/tart flavor.  It is juicy. Can be eaten fresh or used for canning or dehydrating.

Friar:  Dark-skinned, yellow fleshed sweet plum with great fragrance and flavor. Small semi-freestone pit.

Elephant Heart:  Large, red-fleshed plum.  Heart shaped with mottled skin.  Sweet and juicy with good flavor.  Used for fresh eating, baking and jams.

Casselman: Sweet yellow fleshed plum. It has along shelf life and just gets sweeter and sweeter as it ages.  Not particularly juicy but so tasty and sturdy. Great for snacking and eating out of hand.  

FIGS 

Black Mission: Dark almost black skin.  Red to pink, moist flesh. Sweet nutty and fruity flavor with earthy undertones.

Panache:   I call this fig Panache or Tiger Stripe because that is what the nursery sold us many years ago.   It does not exactly fit the descriptions I see online.  Nonetheless, it is a wonderful and popular fig.  Dark green skin with faint striping. Deep pink, moist flesh that is sweet, fruity and honey like.  

Brown Turkey:   The skin is greenish yellow to brown.  The pink to light tan flesh has a mild nutty sweet taste with earthy undertones.  Great for fresh eating, drying, adding to salad, or paired with cheese.

PEARS:    

 Asian Pears: Yoi and Kosui:  Yoi is brown skinned with off white  flesh.  It is very sweet and crisp with caramel flavor. Kosui is a yellow skinned Asian Pear with white flesh. It is sweet, juicy and crisp.

European Pears:  D'anjou :  This pear is usually enjoyed while on the green side and crisp.  It is sweet and tasty.  Often eaten out of hand, added to salads or  baked.

APPLES: 

Gala:  Small crisp apple with yellow skin and a red blush.  It has a mild, sweet, pleasing flavor and texture.  (Limited supply.) 

 

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 hoshigaki at the farm stand. For on farm orders of more than 1 pound it is best to email or call us to make a pre order.  

Hoshigaki strips:  Thin slices of hoshigaki for snacking.

Persimmon Pulp: Frozen pulp is available for baking or adding to oatmeal, smoothies, desserts or cereal. Some of our customers look forward to eating it like a popsicle!

 

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.)

Red cherry tomatoes:  Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  Grown by organic practices. 

Figs: Lupi Farm in Granite Bay.  

Black Mission figs:  Dark skin with sweet pink flesh.

Bartlet Pears:  Sweet, juicy European pears. Can be enjoyed green and crisp or tender, juicy and soft.  Let this pear ripen to your desired texture. 

SUMMER HOURS

 So many people have been waiting for the return of our regular hours.  Wait no more.  This week we will be open longer.  Trees and gardens are providing some goodies.

      Hours

Tuesday through Saturday           10:00 to 6:00

Sunday                                         11:00 to 5:00  

Closed on Mondays

 

 It is unusual for our early varieties of peaches to ripen before the end of May.  This year we are almost finished with Spring Crest peaches.  Next we expect to harvest Flavorcrest peaches.  Royal Rosa apricots came and went quickly. Robada and Royal  apricots are next.  The Red Beaut plums are finished.  We are starting to harvest Santa Rosa plums.  It may be a year when all the crops mature early.

For the moment the vegetable garden is producing amazing peas and broccolini.  The beets are finished and the lettuce and komatsuna are on their last cuttings.  It is getting too warm for these crops.  A few zucchini are starting to produce.  Soon we will have chard and potatoes.  We will have to wait awhile for tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, and peppers.  So  keep checking this page.

 

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

VEGETABLES:

Komatsuna:  Tender leafy green vegetable, thought of as a Japanese spinach.  Taste is more like bok choy, mild with slight mustard flavor.  Can be added to salad, stir-fries, and soup. 

 Red Mustard Greens: Beautiful purple and green leaf mustard.  It has a slightly spicy flavor.  Can be sauteed, or added to soups.

 

Sugar Snap Peas:  Fresh, crisp, and juicy. These sweet and crunchy peas can be enjoyed raw or gently cooked. Can be used for garnish.

 

 Broccolini:  similar to broccoli but milder and sweeter.  The florets,  leaves and stems are all edible in stir fries, sauteed, grilled, steamed, roasted, and raw. 

 

 

 

 

Zucchini:  Green summer squash fresh out of the garden.  Tender green squash with white flesh. 

FRUIT:

Springcrest peach:  Yellow semi freestone peach.  This peach is remarkably sweet, juicy and flavorful for an early peach variety.

Apricots:   Robada and Royal apricots are coming off the trees at this time.  There are not many of them.They are tasty and each variety has its unique flavor. (Limited supply)

Loquat:  This early season tropical fruit is sweet and refreshing.  It is small and juicy with sweet mild flavor.  Texture is similar to ripe pears.  Contain a large seed. (Limited supply)

Pakistani Mulberries:  Long stemmed, dark mulberries.  They are sweet and juicy.  (Limited supply.)

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 hoshigaki at the farm stand. For on farm orders of more than 1 pound it is best to email or call us to make a pre order.  

Hoshigaki strips:  Thin slices of hoshigaki for snacking.

Persimmon Pulp: Frozen pulp is available for baking or adding to oatmeal, smoothies, desserts or cereal. Some of our customers look forward to eating it like a popsicle!

 

Valencia:  These are juicing oranges but most people just peel and eat like any other orange. They are sweet and very juicy.

Eureka lemons:  Firm and sour lemons. Great for adding flavor or making lemonade. 

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:

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

The California Persimmon:  A book published by the ANR covering history and background of persimmons. Contains many new and traditional persimmon recipes.