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.

 

FALL IS PEEKING

 Leaves are still green but fall fruit are beginning to appear.  Pears and apples are starting to come off the trees.  We have a few varieties of grapes coming off the vines.  Summer fruit is barely hanging on.  Just a few peaches and plums to offer.

 Garden veggies are slowing down.  The hot weather stunted tomato formation.  Although we continue to have some tomatoes, we are hoping for a second flush.  Some squash plants up and died but it looks like we will get some production from the late squash planting. Meanwhile, long tendrils of winter squash are reaching toward all corners of the garden. Delicata, Butternut and Kaboch should be ready for harvest in a month if all goes as planned.

 

 

      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:

PEACHES

Fairtime: Flavorful, sweet-tart, yellow freestone peach.  Used for fresh eating, baking, and canning. Best if eaten while firm.(Limited supply.)

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

Late Alamar:  Yellow freestone peach.  Sweet-tart flavor and best if enjoyed while on the firm side. (Limited supply.)

 

PLUMS 

Casselman: Sweet yellow fleshed plum. It has a long 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. (Limited supply.)

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.  (Limited supply.)

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. (Limited supply.)

PEARS: 

Bartlett:  Popular European pear. Yellow skin over off white flesh.  Firm when eaten on the green side, soft, sweet and juicy when skin turns yellow. (Very limited production this year.) 

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: 

 Yoi is brown skinned with off white  flesh.  It is very sweet and crisp with caramel flavor. They can be eaten out  of hand or added to salads.

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.

Hosui:   Large brown skinned Asian pear.  Sweet-tart flavor and crunchy texture make it so desirable.  (Limited supply.)

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.

 GRAPES:

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

READY FOR 2026

🥳DEC. 31, NEW YEAR'S EVE  10AM TO 4PM

 🌞JAN. 1,   NEW YEAR'S DAY   CLOSED

 

JANUARY HOURS: 

TUES THROUGH SAT:   10AM TO 4PM 

                    SUNDAYS:    11AM TO 4PM

                    CLOSED ON MONDAYS 

 

You may request an appointment if you need a different time We will try to accommodate. Call my mobile phone and leave a message.  (916) 300-0720 

 

The end of 2025 was cold and moist.  No rain till the end.  Our persimmons and citrus hung on longer. When the cold came they responded quickly.  Luckily we had stacks of stored Fuyu persimmons that people have come by to purchase.  These are not as crisp as in November but they are still hard.  Most are getting softer and sweeter.  

 We made a quick run to the mandarin trees when we discovered that rain had promoted ripening and soft spots.  Many were damaged but there are still many good ones to enjoy.  The Navel orange crop is also quickly maturing.  We will be harvesting them soon.

Lupi Farm in Granite Bay is providing us with beautiful Meyer lemons and a mystery lemon.  The mystery lemon is sour with a bitter background.

At this time the  lower end of our farm is soaked with rain water runoff.  One farmer quickly realized how soft the earth was, and turned his tractor around and will wait for dryer times.  Too much mud.The other farmer tried to work, in spite of the risk.  That farmer spent the next day digging out his tractor with a shovel then pulling it out with anther tractor. Luckily the helping tractor did its job without getting stuck.

 

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

PERSIMMONS

FUYU:  These are low acid, firm, sweet and crisp.  People love them because they are always sweet. They can be eaten firm or softer depending on your preference.  It is late in the season for crisp Fuyu.  Many people are still enjoying the softer sweeter fruit.

Back row: Nagamaru (Chocolate,Tsurunoko), Hyakume (cinnamon), Hachiya. Front row  Maru, Coffee Cake (Nishimura Wase), Fuyu.

Hachiya:  Hachiya are tall, orange, acorn shaped persimmons that cannot be eaten till soft as pudding in a bag.  They become soft, sweet and juicy. 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.

Hyakume:   These persimmons  have speckled, cinnamon color 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.  Often less than half of the persimmon is edible. Sold out till November 2026.

Vodka:  These are not actually a variety.  They are astringent Hyakume  persimmons that have been treated with Vodka  to make them sweet and enjoyable. They are  yellow or brown fleshed.  They can be eaten hard or soft.  When soft they are juicy and very smooth.

 

   

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.  The last hoshigaki for this season were peeled  at the end of November.  These will dry slowly for the next four to six weeks.  December and January are usually the best time to get hoshigaki. 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.  For mail orders please use our mail order form.

CITRUS

Satsuma Mandarins:  Easy to peel, sweet, juicy and few seeds.  Great for fresh eating or adding to salad. High in vitamin C.

Navel Oranges:   Sweet and juicy with traditional orange flavor.  

Blood Oranges:  This year most of our Blood Oranges are small and yellow on the outside.  But the inside is a vibrant red to orange color characteristic of this variety. They are flavorful, sweet and juicy.

 APPLES          

Reinette Simirenko, Fuji, Granny Smith, Striped Red Delicious

Fuji:   Our Fuji apples are green with light red blush.  I blame this on our warm weather compared to cooler apple growing regions in the Northwest. Nonetheless our Fuji apples are sweet, crisp and full of juice. They are mostly used for fresh eating but also good for baking, cooking, drying and adding to salads. 

Pink Lady:  (Cripps Pink) Beautiful deep pink skin.  Sweet tart flavor. Great for eating fresh, slicing into salads, and baking.  Resists browning when sliced. 

ASIAN PEARS  

Okusankichi:  Also known as Late Korean.  This is the last Asian pear we grow.  Mildly sweet, juicy and crisp.  The brown thick skin helps it to have a long shelf life.  It becomes sweeter as it is stored.  This winter treat offers a crisp refreshing treat in the middle of winter.

 

Quince:  Related to pears and apples, quince are firm, fragrant, and tart. They contain pectin which promotes gelling. Seldom eaten raw, it is usually cooked with sweetener for jam jelly, candy or added to stews. Quince sauce pairs nicely with pork. Thinly sliced raw quince can be added to tea or water.

Pecans:  Sweet and nutty and thin shelled.  Hand harvested before the crows got them!!!  I really have no idea but they look like Shawnee variety.

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:

Lupi Farm in Granite Bay, No spray.

Meyer Lemons:   These sought after lemons are less acidic than regular lemons. They have a thin peel often used for its fragrant zest.  Meyer are rounder than regular lemons with a dark yellow skin.

Mystery Lemons: These lemons were found as part of another lemon tree.  Possibly a root stock or a sport.  Nonetheless they are edible, sour and a bit bitter.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis brings us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Chickens are currently molting so egg production is low.  Also, production is limited by short daylight hours. Currently no supply. Production should increase in February.  Limited supply.

     Vanilla Exract:  Homemade in Loomis, CA at La Bella Vito Farm. Fragrant vanilla flavoring from Madagascar vanilla beans.

 

 

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