Otow Orchard

I wish I knew of this place when I lived here! I just discovered it when making a visit to see the moms. It’s a wonderful family owned farm with so much variety! They have beehives, ducks and tons of different fruit. The folks here are kind and so happy to talk to you about the farm. Be sure to buy some honey when you’re here. It’s some of the best I’ve had. I will definitely be back when I’m visiting again.

Interesting place that my GF and I have been meaning to visit for some time after seeing it profiled on Huell Howser’s «California Gold» program many years ago.
The orchard, which has been there for over 100 years, is tucked away on a side road in Granite Bay. Amazingly, the Japanese American family was able to hold onto the farm despite internment during WWII. The buildings on the site are serviceable but look quite run down, which gives the place it’s charm.
The dried persimmons that make the orchard notable are VERY expensive — $ 23/​lb at the orchard and $ 44/​lb by mail — BUT extremely delicious. Tosh, one of the owners, showed us the drying rooms and explained the tedious and painstaking process they use to create the absolutely BEST product, which includes hand massaging the persimmons as they dry to minimize creases (that retain moisture) and maximize sugar production.
I bought a 3 persimmon packet of hoshigaki that cost $ 9 ($ 3/​persimmon). Already ate one, which was delicious. God help you if you get hooked on them because I think a hoshigaki addiction might end up costing you more than drugs.
Also bought 7lbs of mandarin oranges when we were there; the red variety which are supposedly sweeter than the satsumas. Price for these were a bit high too — $ 1.75 for min 7 lbs; $ 2.50 otherwise; $ 3 for ex-​large. But, since our local grower wasn’t offering any mandarins this year, I was happy to buy them. Already ate a few and they were great!
You can pick your own persimmons and other fruit. Not sure what they charge for that. They had some large & beautiful Meyer Lemons ($ 2.50/lb) that my GF bought as well as a number of different varieties of permissions for sale at the fruit stand. Couldn’t stay long but will probably make another trip back to buy some more mandarins before season’s end. Pretty long trip from where I live but they sell some great fruit and well worth the trip if you can’t find what you want locally.

I love this place! Absolutely delicious peaches and persimmons. They have other fruits and veggies that are really fresh and tasty. They don’t use pesticides but because they are not registered as organic they technically can not call their produce organic. The location is tucked away in Granite Bay. The Otow family is super nice too!

This place is like a dream. Full of nice and green trees, birds chirping and amazing owners (Tosh and Chris) serving customers. We love all the organic fruits and veggies along with some amazing local fresh bounty like honey, eggs etc. My kids love the place, thanks to the small swing, farm animals and some times they can pluck their fruits and veggies directly from trees :)

Sadly a dying breed. They have something juicy and delicious year-​round and it’s actually a great get away from ‘modern life’. Organic deliciousness & a quaint farm stand that evokes times-​past. Please keep them going by paying a visit… the stone fruits are the most fantastic eaten-​out-​of-​hand treat in which you can (and should!) indulge.
Say hello to Shoko while you’re there. She’ll be massaging the hoshi gakis most likely :)

I became very fond of hoshi-​gaki when I lived in Japan to study Japanese over a winter in the mid-​90s. Aside from a local Japanese grocery store (since gone out of business) that carried them in the winter, I had no luck finding them until I Googled the term and found this farm, which produces them in the USA.
I have ordered their wonderful hoshi-​gaki since, and hoard them in my freezer, because they are too delicious to share. Yes, they are pricey, but they are hand-​made, and hand-​made stuff is both good, and not cheap.
This year, based on my past excellent experience with this farm, I ordered a box of their Satsuma mandarins, known as «mikan» in Japan and, along with hoshi-​gaki, a delectable mid-​winter treat from Japan. Wow! did they ever exceed my expectations. The fruit arrived via USPS packaged so that there was not a snowflake’s chance in Hell of being damaged; the cardboard box had corner braces, and a strong piece of lauan mahogany laminated plywood to protect the top from damage.
Yes, a box of this tree-​ripened California citrus is a bit on the expensive side, but it’s probably the healthiest thing I am going to be eating tomorrow on Thanksgiving, and I know that it’s going to give the turkey a run for its money in the deliciousness department.
They don’t take credit cards, but their produce (fresh, and hand-​dried) is well worth digging out your checkbook for.

By far this is my favorite fruit stand in the area! Everything that I have purchased has been delicious, fresh, and beautiful. My kids love going there and walking around the property.

I went here a few weeks ago because my dad was telling me about how he had these amazing Hoshigaki persimmons YEARS ago (way before I was born) and he hasn’t seen any around so I did a little research and found this little orchard. At first, I was going to just order them but then I realized that they’re located not too far from me so I decided to just make a trip up there one weekend.
The day I went was rainy and heck so it was unfortunate I couldn’t really walk around and see how everything is done and all :(But that’s alright! I was planning to actually bring my dad here someday so he can see it himself!
The owners were super nice. I didn’t preorder before and I asked one of the owner if she possibly had a spare pound or two for me to take and she brought out THREE pounds. Super duper awesome! Be sure to bring cash though because they don’t take card here which I totally understand. The husband also gave me some samples of the ripe persimmon and pomegranate as well because I made the drive up :) Happy day indeed!
They have a little parking area in there, can’t wait to come back when it’s not rainy season anymore!

How is it I grew up down the road and didn’t know this place existed until hearing about the hoshigaki persimmons on NPR in the bay area I now call home?
I visited my old stomping grounds promptly and got some of the infamous dried persimmons, a variety of normal-​looking persimmons, a single white pomegranate, a couple Asian pears and pecans.
Those hoshigaki persimmons live up to all the hype. They may look moldy on the outside, but they taste anything but. I can describe them as jam-​filled fruit desserts. Not overly sweet, they’re perfect for a savory lover. The treats were nearly gone before I finished my drive home. Good to know they can be frozen as I will be stalking up next time!
The white pomegranate was really special. I thought it wouldn’t be much different than the common reds, but it was. Less bitter seeds and a pale pink color, it instantly became a favorite. I guess they’re rare (a white buffalo of the autumn fruit world?). I can’t find them anywhere and only wish I would’ve gotten at least a dozen.
Everyone at the farm stand was so friendly (minus the dog which was fun to see in person). Otow Orchard is now a must-​visit-​stop every time I’m «home».

Two words.
White Pomegranate.
I could rave about how awesome it is that it is that they’re one out of five families in the US that make dried Persimmons, because that’s what I really came there for. Or how nice and friendly the family and the workers are, or how funny and cute it is that they have a cranky old dog on the orchard that is so cranky, they even have a warning sign with it’s picture on it saying, «Do not pet me». But the asian pears knocked my socks off and the dried persimmons are the best i’ve had since I tried some from Korea.
But the White Pomegranate blew my mind to bits. Like literally. It’s so sweet, and less tangy than something you’d get from the grocery store. It’s also smaller than a regular one but i like that it’s not softball sized. I regret not taking the whole tray and dumping them into a bag. (Yes i know I have issues, but I love these Pomegranates so much, I had a hard time sharing with the boyfriend.)
Thanks Otow. Now i’ll never be able to go into a supermarket and look at a regular Pomegranate without looking down on it and calling it a peasant.

Lots of natural grown, spray-​free fruits. All good. Most you can’t really find elsewhere nearby either. We bought a ton of Asian pears and white pomegranates. Pretty reasonable prices too.
The hoshigaki wasn’t ready when we went unfortunately. Instead we had some early harvest ones which were still really good. Can’t wait to come back and try the finished product.

Super nice people, yummy persimmons, the traditional dried persimmons are sooo sweet!

It never occurred to me that Otow Farms would have a Unilocal entry. THEY RULE!
I saw the Huell Howser episode of «California Gold» and saw the whole tour of the farm. As a Nipponophile in all things gustatory I waited till that Autumn and bought a box. I guess that was probably 2007 or 2008. I don’t think we’ve missed getting a box of hand-​massaged persimmons each year for the year-​end holidays.
We always have it mind to save one for each of the guests at our annual holiday dinner. And we invariably wind up gobbling them all ourselves (the wife and i), like little piggies.
We sometimes ponder getting two boxes to allow for «generosity», but fear we might founder if we misgauge our big-​heartedness.
Did I mention: THEY TOTALLY RULE???
They are good folks too. I could describe hoshigaki for the uninitiated but my advice is just to get a box and thank me later.
Oh – you’ll be thanking me, alright!
– Gerry

If you like Persimmons, then you’ll love Dried Persimmons! Naturally sweet, chewy, and nutritional.
I’ve been going to Otow Orchards for the past 5 years and I’ve never been disappointed yet. The months I usually stop by is between October and January when the owner, Tosh, and his family starts harvesting their Persimmon orchards and preparing them for mass drying. Since I’m there once a month anyway, it’s always a treat to stop in and say hello. Make sure you bring cash. The sign says not to touch their dog as he will bite, but we always toss him a few treats anyway. Tosh know my wife and I as the people from the Bay Area.
Otow Orchard grows a variety of Persimmons including Maru, Hachiya, Hyakume (vodka-​treated), and Fuyu. If you don’t care about perfect looking persimmons, they carry ‘Seconds’ at a reduced price because they have blemishes or didn’t grow well. The Fruit Stand sells everything they grow in the orchard and includes apples, asian pears, grapes, jujube, white pomegranates, quince, winter squash, tomatillos, eggplant, bitter melon, peppers, basil, pumpkins, and local honey. Prices are reasonable for local quality but quantities are limited.
Due to demand and popularity, premium Hoshigakis (Japanese Hand-​Dried Persimmons) can fetch for $ 24 per pound which is about 8 whole dried persimmons in a bag. [see pic] There are smaller bags you can buy with less quality and smaller persimmons, but it will only save you $ 2 less per pound. Sometimes, they still carry leftovers frozen from last year’s crop. If you’re looking to give these away as gifts to family members and colleagues, Otow Orchard offers ‘Gift Boxes’ which contain 6 dried persimmons in a cute white box for $ 29 each.
Either way you eat it, dried or fresh, persimmons are rich in health promoting nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and anti-​oxidants that are vital for optimum health. Whether you live in the area or just passing through, take some time to check out what Otow Orchard has to offer!

had to go up to 5 stars for the incredible produce and service that Tosh, Chris and Helen provide. Try the Vodka Persimmons, very sweet and delicious!

This Orchard was featured in a PBS show recently and I promptly ordered a few shipments of their Persimmon for delivery… A few shipments of Fuyu Persimmons (the larger, pear shaped ones) for family, and a batch of «Hoshigaki» dried persimmons for myself.
You can order by sending in a check (no credit cards– they are a small family run operation) and you get personalized service. Very, very cool.
I haven’t visited in person yet, but their website is well done. It’s a great little piece of Japanese-​American history, and I can’t wait to enjoy the Hoshigaki (dried) persimmon, which they have promised to ship by the end of November or so!
For a very unique gift idea that supports local farmers, it doesn’t get much better than this!
******
Update: I rec’d my dried (Hoshigaki) persimmons, and they disappeared within a week! yum! Be aware, the seeds are very very sharp, so be careful careful! They were so sweet and plump and persimmon-​tastic!

The Sacramento area’s best fruit /​produce stand, and one of the only places in the US that makes and sells hoshigaki, Japanese dried persimmons, which are one of the tastiest treats you can grow or eat. The Hoshigaki are about $ 18 a pound, which is maybe 4 or 5 persimmons. They also sell many types of fresh persimmon (the chocolates and vodka persimmons were my favorites) and terrific local honey and all sorts of veggies and fruit. Go and walk around the orchards, check out the strawberry fields and beehives and all the veggies growing — a very nice place to spend an hour or two on a sunny day.